Hood Witch Review: Farahani's Fierce Lead, Muddled Genre Mix

This Hood Witch review starts with a simple question: what happens when modern tech meets old-world mysticism on the margins of French society? Saïd Belktibia's Roqya (released as Hood Witch) mixes street drama with flashes of action. It is an uneven film, but a fascinating one.

Hood Witch Review: The Story So Far (No Spoilers)

Nour, played by Golshifteh Farahani, earns her living on the fringes. She smuggles exotic animals and other illegal goods, and she has also built a mobile app that links users with marabouts, traditional mystical healers.

The Hood Witch plot kicks off when one of those consultations goes badly wrong. A tragedy follows, and Nour becomes the target of a violent backlash. The tagline, "Accused of witchcraft. Hunted by all," sums up the first act neatly.

The set-up is original. A hustler selling spiritual help through a smartphone is a smart way to talk about belief, desperation and money.

What Works in Hood Witch

The premise is the film's strongest card. It blends faith, superstition and tech-age entrepreneurship in a way few dramas attempt, and it gives the story a distinctive flavour.

Belktibia, who also co-wrote the script with Louis Penicaut, sets the film in a world that feels lived in. The running time is a tight 95 minutes, so the pace rarely drags.

What stands out most:

• A fresh, topical idea built around a marabout app

• A heroine who is neither saint nor villain

• A mounting sense of paranoia once the accusations begin

Fans of drama movie reviews who like socially minded stories will find plenty to chew on.

Hood Witch Cast and Performances

The Hood Witch cast is led by Golshifteh Farahani as Nour. She gives the role a steely, wary presence, and she holds the screen even when the script gets crowded.

Amine Zariouhi plays Amine, while Denis Lavant appears as Jules. Alexis Manenti is Father Sebastian, the exorcist, a role that hints at the film's collision of belief systems. Karim Belkhadra (Lyes Boussoufi) and Issaka Sawadogo (Ahmed) round out the main players.

Lavant is always a magnetic screen presence, and the supporting cast adds texture. Farahani remains the anchor throughout.

Where Hood Witch Stumbles

The film tries to be a character drama, a thriller and an action piece at once. That ambition is admirable, but the tone wobbles, and the action beats can feel bolted on to a story that works best when it is quiet and tense.

Some themes are raised and then dropped. The ideas about faith, exploitation and community suspicion deserve more room than 95 minutes allows.

Viewers who come for action movie reviews style thrills may find the pacing too restrained. Those who want a pure social drama may find the violence abrupt.

The audience score on TMDB, 6.1 out of 10 from 70 votes, reflects this split reception.

Is Hood Witch Worth Watching?

Yes, if you are curious and open-minded. Hood Witch is a flawed but intriguing French drama with a strong lead and a premise you rarely see on screen.

It does not fully deliver on its big ideas, and the genre mix is rough around the edges. Still, Farahani's performance and Belktibia's willingness to take risks make it a worthwhile watch. We give it 6.1 out of 10.

The film was released in 2023 under its original French title Roqya. For background on the production, see its page on IMDb. If you like offbeat world cinema, you might also enjoy our take on Hellboy: The Crooked Man, another film that plays with folk belief.

Who Will Enjoy Hood Witch

• Fans of Golshifteh Farahani and Denis Lavant

• Viewers who like French social dramas with a dark edge

• Anyone interested in stories about superstition, technology and community fear