Dir. Lorcan Finnegan | Now Streaming On: Shudder | Rating: 4/5

I watched Nocebo as a nanny themed double feature with A Spoonful of Sugar. The only thing better than two back to back “good-for-her” storylines is one that also features a witch. Nocebo has Lonely written all over it. Though simply done and a tad predictable, this film has its fun with a pressing social issue that still isn’t talked about enough.

A nocebo effect is the sister of the placebo effect, where the negative expectations of a treatment from a patient cause negative effects, even if the treatment is harmless. Google that again if you need to, but stay with me. This film is a very literal interpretation of how guilt can eat away at us and how far we run from having to avoid accepting responsibility for our actions.

Nocebo features another favorite of mine, Eva Green, in a lesser known cast of unreliable narrators. Though I caught onto the twist early on, the viewer has no idea who to trust throughout this story. This family is the “good” kind of rich people. They acknowledge their privilege (to an extent) and are trying to raise their daughter to do so as well, so what could have possibly gone wrong?

To avoid revealing the twist, I can’t comment too much more on the social elements of this. But I can comment on how disgusting some of this body horror is. Lesions, peeling skin, bugs, dead things galore in this film. I was already gagging a few minutes in just because the imagery of the bugs was so gross. From my perspective, this also shows a somewhat realistic take on folk magic and witchcraft, especially the simultaneous power and isolation that comes with being a skilled magic practitioner.

With a well rounded ending, though a bit trite at times, Nocebo stands as one of the stronger recent Shudder exclusives. It is definitely a film that is rewatchable and can be watched by frequent flyers and casual watchers alike. If you’re a fan of Eva Green and want something with less thinking involved, stream this on Shudder.

Know Before You Watch: Features bugs, animal death, death, body horror, suicide.