Woman Who Came Back is an old-timey ghost/witch flick with not a heck of a lot going for it. You get a lively opening scene featuring a witch getting on a bus - stop me if you've heard this one - and the ensuing bus crash (which is more entertaining for its model-ness more than anything). It's pretty fun. But other than that, there's not much here to get into. It's never outright terrible, but it's never that good either.
It's about a woman named Lorna Webster, coming back to her hometown of Eben Rock, Massachusetts. Eben Rock has quite the Salem-ish history of witch persecution. A particularly big part of that history was Lorna's grandfather, a powerful judge who was responsible for sending many women"witches" to their deaths. It's long been rumored that one of those "witches" made a pact with the devil and will seek her revenge on the Webster family. And that rumor may be coming true. On her way home to Eben Rock, Lorna encounters a creepy old lady on the bus, who knows her and cackles her way through the Webster family history. If it looks like a witch and talks like a witch...
And then the bus crashes, killing everyone aboard except Lorna. Except, they can't find the body of the mysterious old lady either! Lorna makes it home, surprising everyone in town but especially her ex-fiancee, Dr. Adams. Adams bears no ill will towards Lorna leaving him at the altar a couple of years prior, and wants to marry Lorna ASAP. (It seems like he'd at least want an answer as to why she bailed on him, but it's an uncomplicated 40's movie relationship.) But strange things begin happening to Lorna... a dog keeps showing up at her house, and she... uh... kills someone's pet goldfish. I never said it was frightening, okay?! Anyways, the townsfolk suspect that dark forces are at work within Lorna, and threaten to make her leave town (or worse). And Lorna herself begins to think they're right. It's up to Adams and the local preacher to prove this curse business is a bunch of hokum. Can they do it before it's too late?
So that's Woman Who Came Back in a nutshell. I guess the title could have a dual meaning, as the woman could be Lorna *or* the witch. Unfortunately, neither story is particularly compelling. The film is mired in a 40's cheesiness/earnestness that weakens the whole thing (complete with fainting ladies and a macho hero who saves the day). That, and the fact that it's sort of a mystery as to what is going on, ensures that nothing too crazy would happen. I mean, you can't just have a monster show up or whatever - everything has to be subtle enough so the main mystery isn't revealed too soon: is it a curse or just a serious of coincidences?
The most effective parts of the film are when the townsfolk turn on Lorna. It's hard not to feel bad for her at this point, as it's turned into a literal witch-hunt. Lorna may be a pretty meek character, but she's likable enough that you don't want to see her run out of town by crazy religious folks.
Horror-wise? There's not much here. You could reasonably expect some old small town atmosphere, but it's never really attempted in the film. Lorna's family estate is probably the closest the film comes to being creepy - it's big, ominous, and filled with old knick-knacks (like a little model of a person in a guillotine. How quaint!) It's the kind of house that *could* have some character if it was shot right, but again, that's not something the film is interested in. You get the idea that everyone involved with the film is sort of playing it safe, which I'm sure is just a product of its time. I mean, if this was made 20 years later, you could all but guarantee there'd be at least one flashback of a witch burning at the stake. But, other than the early bus crash, there's very little violence and surprisingly little revenge going on, considering it's a curse and all.
Oh, and there's a dog!
Name: n/a
Breed: German Shepard
Function: He's a hellhound! So I guess to freak Lorna out. Legend has it that the curse will make Satan show up as a familiar - like dog, or even a goat. (I admit, this movie would be way cooler if a goat kept turning up at Lorna's house to harass her.)
Fate: (kind of SPOILER!) He's fine, and just a normal old dog, not a hellhound. It turns out he's just a curious little fellow, who knows how to break into houses at inopportune times. That scamp!
So, Woman Who Came Back is relatively inoffensive, but just not that scary or particularly engaging. I guess if you wanted to watch a horror movie with your grandparents who don't like scary movies, this would work. Otherwise:
I would not recommend this film.
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