An interesting Gothic film that is more creepy than outright terrifying. There's quite a bit of blood, and it should be remembered that in Styria as well as other parts of the Old Country there is no difference between a vampire and a witch. The word used for both, interchangeably, is 'striga', plural 'strigoi'. This is a great study for anyone even remotely interested in vampire lore, but more questions are asked here than are answered--something some like, I however do not. The plight of abused women seems to be the primary theme, and what an abused woman can do about her predicament. Familial love, though, wins out in the end and the striga is forced to leave because of the intensity of that love. J.S. Le Fanu wrote quite a different story, but this is a nice adaptation or inspired piece, and the lesbian theme is really downplayed and made to look more like what Le Fanu intended and wrote as opposed to what today's critics like to repeat for the masses. The cinematography and acting are excellent. I only give this film a seven because the phantasmagoria wasn't phantasmagoric enough, possibly because the reality scenes were too real and interspersed with the nightmare far too often.
Review of The Curse of Styria
