Nightsiren (originally titled Svetlonoc) is about Sarlota, portrayed by Natalia Germani, who returns home to receive her inheritance after running away due to a terrible incident. Back home she meets the free-spirited Mira, played by Eva Mores, who helps Sarlota face her past and untangle the muddled connection between her mother’s death and Otyla, the fabled witch in the woods. It was written by Barbora Namerova and Tereza Nvotová, and directed by Tereza Nvotová.

The acting is great. The major characters are incredibly well-developed. Many of the supporting characters are well-developed. Together, both paint a complex picture of this small town and its people. The relationships these girls have with the other characters, the town, and each other are never static. The dialogue is good.

Nightsiren is slow-paced and an hour and forty-six minutes long. Every element benefits from the slow methodical pacing and the longer-than-average runtime. The characters have time to truly define themselves and grow. It allows a thorough exploration of its themes and for surprises. The pacing fooled me into believing I knew everything Nightsiren was going to offer, and then it would do something unexpected. Finally, it allows things to breathe that could hurt otherwise. There was certainly a danger of having too much tragedy happen too quickly. A whole lot is going on here, and if things took a step toward “tragedy porn” my reaction would have been very different. By giving these circumstances time to breathe, and the characters time to process, it circumvents such a problem. The mystery aspect isn’t in the foreground. It’s important, but it isn’t nearly as important as the lives of these characters.

Even though the mystery around Sarlota’s family comes secondary to her journey and personal development, Nightsiren is always mysterious. There are several smaller questions, some more ethereal than others, but each is significant to the story and experience. My investment in the story was rewarded with suspense and joy in equal measure. The cinematography is great. Things gets more visually expressive over time. The visual identity is firmly established, and when it differs it is not only impressive but meaningful. There are very few effects. Most of it was blood, and the blood was great, too. It could have been real. There is male and female nudity for anyone who may be drawn in or discouraged by nudity.

I believe part of the job of a reviewer is to set expectations. I think doing so benefits both the readers and the films. To set expectations, I have to explain what a 10 is from me. It’s not the sign of a perfect movie. When I give something a 10, think of it as a 9 that leaves something behind. When you watch a fantastic movie and you’re still laughing at a joke, you’re still haunted by that twist, or you’re still pumped with adrenaline, that is what I call a 10. I can nitpick some things for sure, the largest being the resolution. At first, I wasn’t impressed, but now I think it’s near perfect as it fits the overall narrative and the tenets of the narrative well. I think however one feels about it will be valid. Nightsiren shows us that the difference between a spell and a song is dependent on who’s doing the listening, and that is how I view the resolution. Nightsiren is a song that will be stuck in my head for months and a permanent point of comparison for films like it.

10 out of 10