The Wretched(2019)
2019 · Drew T. Pierce & Brett Pierce · 95 min
A rebellious teenage boy, struggling with his parents' imminent divorce, encounters a terrifying evil after his next-door neighbor becomes possessed by an ancient witch that feasts on children.
Horror · Mystery · Thriller
6.0714 votes
TMDB score
3/5
Intensity
2/5
Gore
2/5
Stays with you
How The Wretched scares
There's a creeping sense that nobody will believe what the main character is seeing, and that paranoia is the engine of the whole movie. It moves slowly for long stretches, building unease through small details and a growing feeling that something in a normal-looking house is deeply wrong, before tipping into body horror and more active danger later on. The scares lean more into dread and helplessness than loud jolts, though there are a few nasty, skin-crawling images along the way. It suits people who like witch folklore and slow-building suburban horror more than those chasing constant jump scares.
On The Horror Database's 0–5 scare profile, The Wretched rates psychological 4/5, visceral 3/5, gore 2/5, lingering effect 2/5, and overall intensity 3/5.
- Psychological: 4 of 5
- Visceral: 3 of 5
- Gore: 2 of 5
- Lingering: 2 of 5
- Intensity: 3 of 5
Slow burn vs Jump scares: 25 of 100 — leans Slow burn
Supernatural vs Real-world: 12 of 100 — leans Supernatural
Fun-scary vs Disturbing: 45 of 100 — balanced
Intensity over runtime
Shape only — no eventsReveal pacing shapeHide pacing shapeHidden by default — shows where the tension peaks and lets up.
A slow-building suburban creeper that gradually tightens its grip before ending in a hard, sustained rush.
Intensity across the runtime, 0 to 100: 1, 1, 2, 2, 2, 3, 3, 3, 4, 4, 5, 4.
How scary is The Wretched?
On The Horror Database's 0–5 intensity scale, The Wretched rates 3/5 — solidly scary, building its fear through slow-burn dread rather than shocks. It works on both fronts, unsettling the mind while going for the body. Expect it to be moderately gory and scary but not punishing. Some of it will follow you to bed, but it lets go within a day or so.
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