First two acts are one of
my favorite dark comedies
of the year -- third act is one
of the most moving tragedies
of '17, and the final few scenes
are spectacularly surreal; the
social satire that 2017 needed.

An extremely confident debut from Rungano Nyoni full of wonder, humour, reflection and tragedy. The film looks wonderful too and cinematographer, David Gallego (Embrace of the Serpent), really makes the most of the sparse Zambian landscape. It cleverly plays with traditional gender politics (and not entirely focused on women) to open discussion about respectability and marriage, lineage and how those accused of witchcraft are so easily discarded and branded for life, based on little more than a hunch. All done without resorting to cliched African poverty porn. This is a director to keep on eye on if this is anything to go by. Highly recommend.

This review may contain spoilers. I can handle the truth.

Powerful imagery, with purposeful camera work, helps define the visual narrative of the film. The film is bleak, but the cinematography cuts deep into the gloomy subject matter, bringing out its abstract beauty. It really is a good film on a technical level and the performances are good, but bringing in my personal feelings, it wasn’t an easy watch. It’s hard to know what’s happening for a lot of it.   

I’m really happy I watched it, but I don’t think I’ll ever revisit it.

if you need me i'll be in my room writing an essay on the representation of women through witchcraft in cinema and comparing this beautiful yet heartbreaking little work of art to the glorious Suspiria (2018) and The Witch (2015) 🤓

You are now becoming civil witches.

I Am Not a Witch's impeccable composition and brilliantly sparse soundtrack help the film maintain its delicate balance between tragedy and comedy, though it certainly opts for the former toward the end.

Definitely worth a watch.

WOW

Calling up all witches, those women who sing and dance the tears away—for so many, they rain when are gone. Those women who inspire a film so beautiful, human, whimsical and full of life as this one. Let’s summon the witches, please.

Easily one of the most visually engaging films I’ve ever seen. Nothing short of a master work.

Interesting debut, a little to be desired in the build up but the ending is great. Looking forward to seeing more from Rungano Nyoni with more budget and experience under her belt.

This KILLED me. The cinematography, the script, the direction, it was all done so well. This has been one my watch list for years and I regret not watching it earlier, this really was so well done. The tv interview scene was one of the best scenes I’ve ever seen in any movie

Rungano Nyoni väljer att göra satir av maktstrukturer och fördomar. Det är i botten en tragisk historia men Nyoni drar det till sin yttersta spets och visar absurditeten i det hela. Det finns flera tillfällen då man kan skratta rakt ut men rätt som det är kommer en scen då man inser allvaret i situationen och sätter skrattet i halsen. Mycket välspelat och dessutom ett fint foto, Nyoni blir intressant att följa framöver.

Surprisingly funny, heartbreaking, and aesthetic look into post-colonial Zambian life. I really appreciated the unique sense of humor on display here.

The feature film debut of Zambian-Welsh director-screenwriter Rungano Nyoni explores the fraught history of witchcraft in her native East Africa through the strange experience of Shula, a nine-year-old girl who is accused of being a witch. A film that employs the earthly experience of an upsetting reality (girls and women in Zambia and elsewhere in Eastern Africa are still frequently accused of witchcraft, and the male-dominated professions of “witchfinding” and exorcism can be lucrative) alongside the magical surrealism of childhood imagination and escapism, I Am Not A Witch is a truly transportive, at times uneasy high-wire act of undulating emotions, with tones similar to the tragicomedy of Yorgos Lanthimos. I

This review may contain spoilers. I can handle the truth.