The Devil's Bath (Severin Fiala/Veronika Franz, 2024, Austria/Germany)

The Devil's Bath is the third feature by directors Veronika Franz and Severin Fiala. Set in Austria in the 1700s, the film tells the story of a woman named Agnes (Anja Plaschg) who is struggling with depression. The film was inspired by a work of nonfiction, "Suicide by Proxy in Early Modern Germany: Crime, Sin, and Salvation," by Kathy Stuart. While not based on a true story per se, it was largely inspired by transcripts of criminal trials for women at the time. It is difficult to talk about the film without spoiling the central issue.

The film is about the practice of depressed women at this time to kill young children (viewed as innocents), confess, and then be executed. This was a loophole in the church that the women believed allowed them to enter heaven, as opposed to just committing suicide. Hundreds of such cases were recorded in German-speaking Europe during this period. Franz and Fiala's film attempts to show how a woman would end up in this situation. Anja Plaschg, best known for her work as a musician under the name Soap&Skin, portrays Agnes with great sensitivity and shows her gradual descent into mental illness.

Clocking in at two hours, The Devil's Bath begins to feel dirge-like as it courses toward its seemingly inevitable conclusion. Nevertheless, there are many pleasures to be had in the film, from Plaschg's soundtrack to the beautiful cinematography, to the film's attention to the details of everyday life during this period. One of the film's final scenes is also profoundly moving and sticks in the memory. We are eager to see more from Plaschg, and it is striking that she is not a professional actress, given the performance she gives in The Devil's Bath. Her performance is truly the anchor of the film.

7/10