Radiohead’s Unsettling New Video ‘Burn the Witch’ Pays Tribute to Horror Film ‘The Wicker Man’
At first glance, the new Radiohead music video might look like an old episode of Bob the Builder. But with a title like “Burn the Witch,” it’s only a matter of time until the cutesy stop-motion video takes a turn for the weird.
It begins with an inspector of some kind visiting a town – a town that appears perfectly normal. But red flags pop up: ominous Xs on doors, gallows hanging in the town square, and some sort of masked ritual that doesn’t look like the sort of game you’d play in your backyard. It all builds to a terrifying finale, with the inspector being held captive in a giant burning wooden structure.
“Burn the Witch” shares some overt similarities with the 1973 horror classic The Wicker Man. In that film, a visitor to a remote island discovers an unsettling cult and eventually becomes their human sacrifice. “Burn the Witch” has a slightly more optimistic ending, as it appears the inspector escapes the burning wicker man, potentially leaving room for a sequel.
The video’s release comes after the band completely wiped their presence online and the song will serve as Radiohead’s first single for their forthcoming still-untitled ninth studio album. “Burn the Witch” was directed by Chris Hopewell, who also directed the 2003 Radiohead music video “There, There,” which also used stop-motion animation.
Watch “Burn the Witch”:
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