Shudder Secrets: The Devil’s Bath

Anyone familiar with Veronika Franz and Severin Fiala’s work knows that their horror films aren’t exactly an upper. Goodnight Mommy is a grim portrayal of motherhood, painting children as little hell spawns. Their last film, The Lodge, isn’t exactly flattering to children either, while underscoring a sense of isolation in a grim wintery setting. Their latest, The Devil’s Bath, is somehow their bleakest film to date. That’s really saying something considering their body of work thus far.

The Devil’s Bath starts with a taboo and startling cold opening. From there, it’s no easier to watch. Fiala and Franz found inspiration in historical documents about 18th Century Austrian women who committed severe crimes in hopes of execution to avoid suicide and eternal damnation. This film specifically focuses on a young, isolated woman who’s utterly trapped in a marriage and bound by rigid societal norms.

The Devil’s Bath and Female Isolation

The Devil’s Bath is very much carried by the heartbreaking and remarkable performance of Anja Plaschg as Agnes. Shortly after the cold opening, she marries Wolf (David Scheid). Initially, Agnes is a cheerful woman who especially enjoys nature. She has a kind heart and good soul. Yet, that’s eventually worn down by the harsh standards of her time period and Wolf’s lifestyle.

Once she marries, Agnes’ days are spent preparing Wolf’s meals and assisting him in the day-to-day labor, which mostly involves stepping into muddy waters to help he and the other villagers net fish. She’s not very good at it, either no matter how hard she tries. Meanwhile, nothing is ever good enough for Agnes’ mother-in-law, Mother Gänglin, played by Maria Hofstätter. She’s always critical of Agnes, and perhaps she has to maintain such an icy demeanor to survive the time period.

Though we first see Agnes as a rather upbeat young woman, that changes as the runtime progresses. Everything wears on her, and for good reason. It gets to the point she takes rat poison and refuses to leave her bed. Though Wolf certainly cares for her and frequently tells his mom to be easier on Agnes, he, too, is bound by societal norms. His life consists of early mornings and work, work, work. Even though Agnes desires a child, Wolf is often too tired from his long days to make love to her, or even really touch her.

The Devil’s Bath as a Historical Piece

Other than Plaschg’s stellar performance, The Devil’s Bath also works quite well as a period film. From the drab cinematography to the costume design, to the focus on grueling labor, Franz and Fiala truly depict just how hard it would be to survive rural Austria in the 18th Century. For instance, in one scene, eager to impress Wolf, Agnes takes a fishing net and ventures to the waters herself. There, she gets stuck in the mud and could have drowned. She’s also trapped by society’s standards and scolded for befriending another young woman who her mother-in-law refers to as “a whore.” Essentially, Agnes has no agency. The historical note that precedes the film’s credits highlights the lengths women went to just to escape their dreary lives.

The director’s previous work also focuses on the isolation of women and their other main projects have equally depressing endings. Here, though, instead of focusing on evil kids, the duo focuses on despair caused from broader societal standards. This makes The Devil’s Bath their most mature work to date, yet also the most distressing. Watching Agnes unravel is utterly heartbreaking, and this film is a detailed and layered character study.

While there’s plenty to appreciate about The Devil’s Bath, especially Plaschg’s performance and the atmosphere, this likely isn’t a film I’ll rewatch anytime soon, especially during the summer months. Still, Franz and Fiala are some of the most interesting directors working in genre film today. Their latest release warrants attention.

The Devil’s Bath will play at the IFC Center in NYC on June 21 and then stream exclusively on Shudder on June 28. Keep updated on all of Shudder’s latest release by following my Shudder Secrets column.