The.devil-s.bath.a.k.a.des.teufels.bad.2024.ger...
The Devil’s Bath is a harrowing, slow-burn horror film from the acclaimed duo behind Goodnight Mommy (2014) and The Lodge (2019). Unlike their previous English-language thrillers, this film returns to their Austrian roots and is based on painstaking historical research. It is loosely inspired by court records and folk songs from 18th-century Austria, Germany, and Slovenia, specifically exploring the real phenomenon of "child murder by proxy" – a dark psychological loophole used by severely depressed women to seek divine forgiveness and escape what they saw as an unbearable earthly existence.
The film's title refers to a historical German phrase, "Des Teufels Bad" (literally "the devil's bath"), which described a state of profound, suicidal melancholia. The film is directly based on the research of historian Kathy Stuart, whose book Suicide by Proxy in Early Modern Germany documents dozens of cases where depressed individuals – overwhelmingly women – committed murder to trigger their own execution. They believed that if they confessed their crime in a state of contrition, God would grant them forgiveness, whereas suicide was an unforgivable act of despair. Authorities at the time were often complicit, viewing execution as a just and salvific end for such "penitent" sinners. The.Devil-s.Bath.A.K.A.Des.Teufels.Bad.2024.GER...
The film follows Agnes (a stunning performance by Anja Plaschg, also known as the musician Soap&Skin), a deeply sensitive and pious young woman living in a picturesque but oppressive rural community in 1750 Austria. She marries her husband, Wolf, with romantic hopes, only to find herself trapped in a cold, emotionally barren marriage and a harsh, ritualized agrarian life. The Devil’s Bath is a harrowing, slow-burn horror
Agnes struggles with what we would now recognize as severe postpartum depression and melancholia, but in her time, these conditions are seen as spiritual failings, laziness, or even demonic influence. She becomes increasingly isolated, unable to connect with her husband, her mother-in-law, or the religious rituals that once brought her comfort. Desperate to escape her mental torment and the sin of suicide (which, in Catholic doctrine, condemns the soul to hell), Agnes learns of a terrible local "solution": murder a child to confess the sin, receive martyrdom-like punishment, and thus be "cleansed" – a twisted belief that one could die by execution rather than by one's own hand and still achieve salvation. The film's title refers to a historical German
The Devil’s Bath premiered in competition at the 2024 Berlin International Film Festival (Berlinale), where it won the Silver Bear for Best Cinematography (Martin Gschlacht). Critics have praised it as a masterpiece of historical horror and a feminist critique of patriarchal religious structures. It has been compared to The Witch (2015) and Hagazussa (2017), but many argue it is even more unflinching and bleak. Some viewers may find its pacing slow and its subject matter relentlessly depressing, but for fans of intelligent, art-house horror that uses genre to explore real human suffering, it is considered essential viewing.
The Devil’s Bath is a difficult, beautiful, and profoundly sad film. It is not entertainment in the conventional sense but a piece of historical reclamation – giving voice to forgotten women who suffered in silence. If you are prepared for a slow, atmospheric, and deeply tragic exploration of faith and despair, it is one of the most powerful horror films of 2024. Approach with caution if themes of suicide, infanticide, or extreme depression are triggers.
Title: The Devil’s Bath (original German: Des Teufels Bad ) Director: Veronika Franz & Severin Fiala Country: Austria / Germany Year: 2024 Genre: Historical Psychological Horror / Arthouse Drama
