Witches Review: The Stigma of Post-Partum Depression and Womanhood
Streaming Movie Review - Documentary - MUBI
Content note: This film and review discuss murder and suicide as they relate to post-partum psychosis. If you, or anyone you know, is struggling with mental illness following the birth of a child, you can call 1-833-TLC-MAMA (1-833-852-6262) to access support.
Witches have always been prominent in pop culture, likely because they have been central to discussions of women in society. However, with the recent popularity of Wicked and Agatha All Along, the topic has gained more attention. In her new documentary Witches, streaming on MUBI, director Elizabeth Sankey examines both the historical stories of women accused of witchcraft and of that topic in the context of film and television.
Sankey speaks about how she always identified with witches growing up, noting that she learned the names of women who were killed during witch hunts in America and Europe. As she grew older, she put the obsession with witches away, but when she delivered her first child and became a mother, she experienced extreme post-partum depression that caused her to want to harm either herself or her child. She was able to receive help from an inpatient hospital stay that kept her with her baby while she received treatment for her depression. Through her time there and the women who helped her through that experience, she began to identify with her prior fascination, seeing the other women as a kind of coven that she relied on.
Witches does a lovely job of explaining how media often shapes the public’s views on women and motherhood and even how it impacts the way people think about post-partum depression. Sankey explains how often the illness is seen as just needing a quick break, and then everything is fine, but for her and others, it can feel so much more oppressive. She examines the story of Dr. Daksha Emson, a UK psychologist who killed her infant and herself when she experienced post-partum psychosis. Because the stigma surrounding the mental health of mothers was so significant, she felt unable to access the help that she needed in order to keep herself and her baby safe.
The film is a wonderful blend of interviews with women who have experienced post-partum depression and clips from films. Sankey’s voice-over work is contrasted well with her appearances on screen to tell her story. Showing her face adds something special to the documentary and allows it to land better.
Something that Sankey does well is to show that most women who were convicted in various witch trials confessed to the crimes of which they were accused. All of the women who were interviewed said that they could understand why a woman would confess to those crimes, even knowing that the punishment was likely to be death. When they were suffering from post-partum depression and, in some cases, post-partum psychosis, death seemed preferable to continuing to live as someone who could have such evil thoughts.
Make no mistake: Witches is a bleak documentary. However, it is also hopeful. It shows the ugliness of mental illness, but it also shows how women can find community in one another and help find wholeness again. Sometimes, you just need your coven.
This review originally appeared in The Dominion Post on January 18, 2025.