Based on the short story by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Steven Millhauser, The Sisterhood of Night is a story of friendship and loyalty set against the backdrop of a modern-day Salem witch trial. Shot on location in Kingston, NY, the film chronicles a group of girls who have slipped out of the world of social media into a mysterious world deep in the woods. The tale begins when Emily Parris exposes a secret society of teenage girls. Accusing them of committing sexually deviant acts, Emily’s allegations throw their small American town into the national media spotlight. The mystery deepens when each of the accused takes a vow of silence. What follows is a chronicle of three girls unique and provocative alternative to the loneliness of adolescence, revealing the tragedy and humor of teenage years changed forever by the Internet. (Amazon.com synopsis)

 

SISTERHOOD OF NIGHT is a great tale about teenage loneliness and alienation as they want to protect themselves from being ridiculed by other teens who want to taunt (especially in the digital age of social media).  The girls could come clean, but they chose not to break their silence as accusations about the Sisterhood rise.  A guidance counselor (Kal Penn) even tries to help the girls as a witch hunt media circus grows. His awkward romance with one of the mothers (of a Sisterhood member) is touching.  Georgie Henley is fantastic as Mary Warren, the leader of the Sisterhood, while Kara Hayward matches wits as Emily Parris (who just wants to belong and her blog ends up being a haven for sexual molestation victims).  It is a powerful movie that looks at what teens go through and it will live on for generations to come (and maybe even a movie they should show in every high school).

 

SPECIAL FEATURES:

The only extra is the theatrical trailer for the movie which spoils some of the best twists.

 

FINAL ANALYSIS: THE SISTERHOOD OF NIGHT is a powerful movie about what it is like to be a teenager and how the adults always seem to be on the outside of it (while the teens look for a safe haven from gossip and rumors).  

 

This review is ©6-23-2015 David Blackwell and cannot be reprinted without permission.  Send all comments to feedback@enterline-media.com

 

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