Season of the Witch parents guide

Season of the Witch Parent Guide

In addition to the violent portrayals, the story often feels muddled and the script suffers from several dialogue anachronisms. The depiction of satanic themes may also be problematic.

Overall D+

In the hope of stopping the Black Plague from continuing to spread across his homeland, a returning Crusader (Nicolas Cage) and his companion (Ron Pearlman) accept a request from church officials to escort an accused witch (Clair Foy), suspected of causing the problem, to an isolated abbey.

Release date January 7, 2011

Violence D
Sexual Content B
Profanity B
Substance Use B

Why is Season of the Witch rated PG-13? The MPAA rated Season of the Witch PG-13 for thematic elements, violence and disturbing content.

Run Time: 95 minutes

Official Movie Site

Parent Movie Review

In Season of the Witch, Nicolas Cage and Ron Perlman star as a pair of weathered knights who have spent the last decade fighting the enemies of God. Spurred on by the pious petitions of a priest, they engage in each battle as casually as a couple of guys headed in for a day at the office. But both men face the harsh reality of their crusades when they, along with the rest of their legion, storm a city and slay all the citizens holed up inside, most of which are women and children. Rethinking their vows, Behmen (Cage) and Felson (Perlman) leave their posts and return to their country only to find the villages and cities floundering in the midst of the plague.

In one town, the two deserters are discovered. They are given the choice of rotting in a dungeon or transporting a suspected witch (Claire Foy) to a monastery where she will face trial for bringing the widespread sickness upon the population. Traveling with the two men is another knight who is mourning the loss of his wife and children (Ulrich Thomsen). Also in the group is the priest Debelzag (Stephen Campbell Moore), a swindling salesman (Stephen Graham) forced to show them the route to the abbey, and a young alter boy (Robert Sheehan) who dreams of being knighted.

The priest warns the others about the caged girl’s ability to play on a person’s doubts. But when she secretly confides to Behmen that the priest has been abusing her, the knight begins to wonder whom to trust.

Like many movies that deal with demonic themes, we’re pretty confident not all of the travelers will make it to the final destination. The question is who will go first. Unfortunately the deaths portrayed are often detailed. Swords are thrust completely through victims. Men are decapitated and a trio of suspected witches are hung and then drowned. Equally graphic are the pustulating sores covering the faces and bodies of dying humans and rotting corpses.

In addition to the violent portrayals, the story often feels muddled and the script suffers from several dialogue anachronisms. (At least I found it hard to swallow some of the current vernacular offhandedly tossed around by these knights.) But for many viewers, the depiction of devilish characters, demonic figures and other satanic themes will also be problematic.

Directed by Peter Goddard, Dominic Sena. Starring Nicolas Cage, Ron Perlman, Claire Foy. Running time: 95 minutes. Theatrical release January 7, 2011. Updated

Season of the Witch
Rating & Content Info

Why is Season of the Witch rated PG-13? Season of the Witch is rated PG-13 by the MPAA for thematic elements, violence and disturbing content.

Violence: Hand-to-hand combat is frequently and graphically portrayed with characters impaled, decapitated and slashed with swords and knives. Numerous battle injuries and dead corpses are also shown, including those of women and children. Three women are hanged and then drowned. A man is attacked and killed by an occult figure. Another man has his neck snapped. Barebacked men scourge themselves with whips. Soldiers shoot arrows at men. Many characters are shown with pustules and other open sores covering their face and bodies. Dead, rotting corpses are seen frequently. A man is locked in the stocks for swindling others. A woman attacks and chokes several characters. She is later hit over the head and knocked out. A man’s hand is stabbed and nailed to a plank. A dog chews on a dead body. Wolves attack men and kill one. A rope rips the skin from a man’s hands leaving them raw and bloody. A man is repeatedly stabbed in the back and blood oozes from his chest. A character is engulfed in flames.Humans fight with demonic figures.

Sexual Content: A naked woman is briefly shown without explicit detail. A man comments on a sexual encounter with a woman.

Language: The script contains infrequent profanities, scatological slang and some terms of Deity.

Alcohol / Drug Use: Men are briefly shown drinking in a bar. Men later take a drink from a flask.

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Season of the Witch Parents' Guide

How does Behmen justify leaving the crusade? Do you agree with his argument?

How is religion portrayed in this film? Is there a difference between religion and religious leaders?

How does the suspected witch play on the weaknesses and fears of the men who are transporting her?

 

Home Video

The most recent home video release of Season of the Witch movie is June 28, 2011. Here are some details…

Season of the Witch releases to DVD and Blu-ray on June 28, 2011.Bonus materials include:

- Feature commentary

- Becoming the Demon

- Deleted scenes

- On a Crusade

- Alternate ending

- Theatrical trailer

Related home video titles:

The religious crusades of the 14th century play a part in the plots of other movies such as Indian Jones and the Last Crusade, Robin Hood,  and the spoof Monty Python and the Holy Grail.