The Love Witch

Young, recently widowed witch Elaine Parks relocates to Arcata, California, a town that tolerates witchcraft, to start a new life following the death of her husband Jerry. She rents an apartment in a Victorian building owned by her mentor Barbara and maintained by interior decorator Trish Manning. Trish invites her to a tea room, where they are surprised by a visit from Trish's husband Richard, who becomes besotted with Elaine. After Elaine performs a ritual to attract a new lover, local professor Wayne accepts her offer to cook him dinner at his cabin in the woods. She has him drink a concoction of hallucinogens and they have sex. He becomes emotional and delirious, which repulses Elaine. The next morning, Wayne has died. She buries him along with a witch bottle containing her urine and a used tampon. When Trish leaves town for a few days, Elaine seduces Richard. They have sex, but Elaine demands they stop seeing each other when Richard becomes clingy and overly emotional. When Wayne is reported missing, Officer Griff Meadows and his partner Steve discover Wayne's body at his cabin, along with the witch bottle, which leads them to Elaine. Griff invites Elaine to join him horseback riding. They come across a midsummer solstice festival held by the leaders of Elaine's coven. They propose a mock wedding. A handfasting ceremony is performed, where Elaine and Griff are gifted matching rings. Elaine realizes she is in love with Griff, though he does not reciprocate her feelings. Griff tells Steve that their boss has ordered them to drop the case. When Steve inquires about the jimsonweed found in Wayne's system, Griff responds that Wayne was known to experiment with substances. Steve reveals that Jerry died of an overdose despite having no prior history of drug use, and accuses Griff of letting his feelings cloud his judgement. Griff punches Steve and storms off. Richard commits suicide in the bathtub and is discovered by Trish. Trish confides in Elaine that she suspects Richard was having an affair, and that his paramour drove him to suicide. Trish puts on Elaine's ring, and Elaine forgets to retrieve it before leaving. Trish brings it to Elaine's apartment, where she tries on Elaine's wig, makeup, and lingerie before discovering a shrine dedicated to Elaine's deceased lovers, including Richard. Elaine returns and is attacked by Trish, who leaves, swearing Elaine will burn for what she has done. Elaine meets Griff at a local burlesque club. The police have DNA evidence linking her to both Wayne and Richard, as well as items linking her to Richard's suicide. Elaine claims she simply buried Wayne in accordance with her religious customs after a night of lovemaking. Overhearing the exchange, other patrons assault Elaine, chanting "burn the witch". Griff fights them off and they flee. At her apartment, Elaine presents Griff with a concoction that he tosses to the floor. Elaine sees a vision of her past victims professing their love. She retrieves an athame and stabs Griff multiple times, mirroring a painting on her wall. Clutching the bloody athame to her chest, Elaine smiles, imagining a mock wedding in which Griff declares his love and proposes to her before leading her away astride a unicorn.