Port Laveau is a popular river floating location for young people and witches alike. Currently run by the son of the Laffite family, things start to go down hill pretty quickly when we see a dumb jock get dragged under and killed in the water after accidentally hitting a girl in the face with a beer can. Wendy, a young black woman recently fired from hosting a women’s retreat, returns to the river with three other friends to try and recapture the magic of their last event. They are immediately cautioned not to go near the river, as they suspect that our jock friend was pulled in and killed by an alligator and they want to make sure to capture it first. The new pool is totally open to them. However, this time Wendy has a secret. Women who bleed into the river often have their most secret wishes come true. After all, when a woman named Samantha cracked her head on a rock in the shallow water, she won a million dollars the very next day. The water belongs to Erzulie, a mermaid goddess who lives in the river. She is known to favor unprotected women and children. However, evoking a river goddess doesn’t quite go the way anyone plans, especially when the new manager of the camp is doing some pretty shady things and a mysterious woman appears alongside the river.
Erzulie is written and directed by Christine Chen. Unlike many horror movies, Erzulie treats women’s fears over abuse and domestic violence as very real. Witchcraft is treated mostly respectfully (also fold that paper three times away from you before putting it in the fire, girl) although, this can fall flat with some of the vodun and hoodoo treatments which as still treated with an exotic danger trap that many movies fall into. You know how if you ignore all the signs that the girl in Midsomar is entering a white supremacist cult you kind of love her smile as she watches people burn? It is an utter delight to watch a horrific abuser get dragged down to the river after seeing his ex-girlfriend making out with her friend.
Erzulie will be released by Moth To Flame on May 27 at the Laemmle Glendale and Gravitas Ventures and Kamikaze Dogfight will release the film on digital platforms on June 14.
