Witchcraft and weed farming sounds like a good time to me. What could go wrong? Down on her luck, Emma reluctantly accepts a job on a marijuana farm to earn some easy cash. After meeting her fellow trimmers, she’s introduced to the enigmatic owner of the estate where they’ll be working. Unbeknownst to the young crew, they are in store for a killer weed harvest.
Directed by Ariel Vida, Trim Season is the witchy weed thriller us horror fans have needed our whole adult lives. Admittedly, I envisioned something silly like Evil Bong meets Practical Magic but I was intrigued after watching the trailer. This was good. It’s not as simple as a good plot with an interesting supernatural angle. The cast is excellent and the location is perfect. Most importantly, I love witches and I love weed.
Red flags everywhere
First of all, how do you get anyone on board for a shady endeavor without ignoring some type of red flag? In this case, our poor unfortunate souls are young, impressionable, unaffluent, and unemployed. When a charismatic, friend of a friend, plies Emma with drinks and promises of an easy job trimming bud, her luck seems to turn in her favor. What’s more, there’s safety in numbers. Bring a friend and join us on a remote farm in the secluded woods.
Emma is apprehensive to head out with a stranger to an unfamiliar area. However, best friend, Julia is quick to quell her many concerns and offers to take the job along with her. Quickly, plans are tossed out the window when they’re asked to abandon their vehicles. Don’t worry, they have an answer for that as well. Did I mention that no men are allowed to accept this position? Not fishy at all.
The trimming seems simple enough. They should be making a fat stack of cash and they just need to endure the crappy lodging and all of the secrecy and seclusion of working on this land. I think we get the picture here. And it’s only going to get worse.
Season of the witch
Emma (Bethlehem Million Sick) and Julia (Alexandra Essoe Starry Eyes) get to work with their new companions and this cast is superb. I cheered when I saw Bex Taylor-Klaus (as Dusty) enter the picture. I’ve been a fan since they gave a stellar performance on the series, The Killing. Juliette Kenn de Balinthazy and Alexia Ioannides are incredible. Even more, there’s Jane Badler as boss baddie, Mona. She has a crew of heavily armed men, including her two sons, one of whom is quite sensitive and keen on Dusty. Mona is so damn cool, dressed to kill, and grows a special strain of marijuana meant only for her. You can smoke all the bud here but you better stay out of her personal stash.
Don’t get high on Mona’s supply
I wish this was playing in a theater near me so that I could rewatch my favorite parts on a big screen. The intro was wild and I was thrilled. Despite Emma being a bit of a pushover, she keeps asking the right questions and doesn’t relent. Of course, someone breaks the big rule and fortunately, we don’t have long to wait before she sees the error in her ways. From there, it becomes increasingly dangerous and they have to find a way out of this nightmare.
I am a sucker for witchcraft movies and this has a certain nuance and then hits you like a heavy brick. The writing is fantastic and gives us backgrounds and stories to the people we want to see survive. I love a diverse cast and multidimensional women characters. Million has a strong character arch. Badler is creepy! The cinematography and location lend heavily to the unsettling and trippy mood of the film. The biggest mystery is disturbing and the conclusion is fun as hell. Overall, this is an excellent watch. I liked so much and had little to complain about. Check out Trim Season in theaters and on demand from Blue Harbor Entertainment on June 7th.
