In 2013, Mi’kmaq filmmaker Jeff Barnaby introduced Rhymes for Young Ghouls at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF). It was a wild revenge story that highlighted the horrors of residential school abuse, which had harmed generations of Indigenous young people.
He combined these real-life experiences with a genre film structure, using the elements of traditional horror films to reflect the real-life struggles of reservation life.
While his film wasn’t the first to connect these issues with this style, his presentation was so unique and powerful that it changed the way I understood these stories. By using fiction, Barnaby was able to reveal some chilling truths about life for Indigenous people.
Barnaby passed away in 2022 after battling cancer, and I deeply miss his voice. However, while watching Seeds, the directorial debut of Kaniehtiio Horn, I could see the continuation of what Barnaby brought to the screen.
His influence connected his legacy to a bright future for Canadian filmmaking and for modern Indigenous storytelling.
On the surface, Seeds is a fun mix of broad comedy, unsettling dread, and revenge horror, creating an entertaining mashup. But if you look closely, the film goes beyond just entertainment. It mixes Native and colonial languages, switching between them mid-sentence.
It also reflects on the charms and challenges of reservation life with a tone that is both sharp and humorous.
The film also tackles generational trauma and the refusal to accept the isolation that comes from the social and cultural compromises of the reservation system. There is a darker side to the story that is dealt subtly, which goes beyond the horrific events shown on screen.
Still from the movie (Levelfilm)
What Is Seeds About?
In Seeds, Kaniehtiio Horn plays Ziggy, a Kanien’kehaka woman who lives in the big city. She works part-time as a social media influencer and full-time as a food delivery person.3
In her posts, she shares dark stories from her Mohawk culture with excitement and enthusiasm, telling tales of dismembered limbs and cannibalistic practices.
Ziggy flips the idea of so-called “savagery” by delivering these tales as entertaining tabloid-like stories while engaging with a community that enjoys the shocking fun of her posts.
Ziggy falls asleep on her couch while watching old episodes of Exhibit A: Forensic Files, a once-popular Canadian show hosted by the famous actor Graham Greene.
In her dream, an older version of Greene appears and speaks to Ziggy from the TV. He encourages her to find a new direction for her life and warns her to be cautious of opportunities that seem too good to be true.
Ziggy soon gets a sponsor for her posts and is promised riches for promoting Nature’s Oath, an agrochemical company, to her audience.
Dressed in the company’s branded outfits, Ziggy spreads the message of how planting a small seed can lead to significant growth in the future.
This metaphor applies in two ways. A seed can grow into something positive and healthy, or it can become something harmful and destructive.
These contrasting meanings, between light and dark, and between the horrors of the past and the hope for a better future, bring deeper meaning to Horn’s story.
When Ziggy’s fun but goofy cousin (played by Dallas Goldtooth) asks her to house-sit for a relative who is vacationing in New Zealand, Ziggy returns to the comfort and confinement of her childhood home.
Accompanied by her cat and struggling to find a cellphone signal, Ziggy faces the daily challenges of reservation life, which soon turn into life-or-death situations when a mysterious stranger arrives. The stranger is hunting for her family’s legacy to use for dark purposes.
As the lighthearted story grows darker, Horn manages to keep the shifting tones under control. The talented cast, including Meegwun Fairbrother, Dylan Cook, and Greene, helps to ground the story, even as the events spiral out of control.
On one hand, the characters operate in a clear moral lines, with obvious villains fighting against our heroine. However, there are more subtle themes that grow throughout the film, moving the story forward without being preachy.
Still from the movie (Levelfilm)
In Seeds, Kaniehtiio Horn takes a bold approach, crafting a film that moves beyond traditional horror and revenge narratives. She skillfully intertwines humor, Indigenous cultural elements, and social commentary to create a multi-layered experience.
The character of Ziggy, a city-dwelling Kanien’kehaka woman, bridges modern urban life with her deep cultural roots.
Her humorous and dark tales serve not only to entertain her social media followers but also to challenge misconceptions about Indigenous history and identity. This adds another layer to the film, where the past and present are shown as interconnected, rather than separate entities.
Horn’s portrayal of Ziggy’s return to her home is equally poignant. The struggles of reservation life are shown with a mix of affection and criticism.
This nuanced portrayal sheds light on the ongoing challenges faced by Indigenous communities, without falling into stereotypes.
Ziggy’s growing conflict, as she uncovers the dangerous hunt for her family’s legacy, serves as a powerful metaphor for the broader issues of cultural survival and exploitation faced by Indigenous peoples.
Seeds doesn’t shy away from using its genre roots to deliver blood and thrills, but it also weaves in thought-provoking messages about heritage, survival, and resistance.
The mix of horror and humor highlights how storytelling can confront even the darkest aspects of history, while still engaging and entertaining its audience.
Seeds is a very entertaining and thought-provoking film. It mixes revenge thriller elements with deeper cultural themes. Like any hybrid, combining different elements can result in something better than the sum of its parts.
Though it risks becoming chaotic, Horn skillfully manages the balance. She follows the lead of my late friend Jeff Barnaby, planting Seeds with care and delivering a thrilling, brutal, and fun experience for the audience.
Jac Schaeffer is a well-known writer, producer, and director. She recently worked on Marvel Studios’ Disney+ series “WandaVision,” which won an Emmy Award. This series introduced viewers to Agatha Harkness, a witch without a coven, played by Kathryn Hahn.
“WandaVision” shook the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) by expanding on witches within its storyline. It also gave Schaeffer the chance to create another series, “Agatha All Along.” This new series can be enjoyed on its own and also connects with the larger Marvel story.
After “WandaVision,” Agatha is still trapped in a spell cast by Wanda Maximoff, played by Elizabeth Olsen. Wanda’s spell keeps Agatha acting as the nosy neighbor, Agnes, in the town of Westview. In “WandaVision,” Agatha was the main villain.
But in “Agatha All Along,” Hahn’s character is in control. She forms a new group of witches, after things did not work out with her old one. She sets off on a path called the Witches’ Road to search for what she needs.
The first two episodes of “Agatha All Along” will air on Disney+ on September 18. Collider’s Perri Nemiroff talked to Schaeffer about the magic behind this upcoming series.
According to “WandaVision,” Agatha Harkness has mastered the craft of Dark Magic over many centuries. She killed her entire group of witches in Salem, Massachusetts when they tried to punish her for using dark magic.
Agatha went on her own and used a dangerous book called the Darkhold, which made her even more powerful but also corrupted her.
When she felt Wanda’s Chaos Magic, she got close to her in Westview, hoping to take this power. In the end, Wanda found out Agatha’s plan and trapped her in the role of Agnes, the nosy neighbor, stripping her of her magic.
So, what happens to Agatha next? Schaeffer says Agatha is still trapped. This time, she is stuck as the female detective in a TV show that mimics a crime drama.
Schaeffer says she always had this idea. She mentions, “From the very beginning, I had the concept for the pilot.” Schaeffer also got the chance to direct the pilot episode, which she was excited to do.
Still from the series (Disney+)
Perri Nemiroff asked Schaeffer how the plot of “Agatha All Along” changed during development. Schaeffer explained that the journey of the character was the biggest question.
They wondered if it would be a story focused on two characters or an ensemble cast. These ideas changed the most as the show took shape. Schaeffer says she can’t give away too much because it would spoil the story.
Marvel Studios has been building an epic cinematic universe since “Iron Man” (2008). The MCU has introduced iconic Marvel characters in movies that connect with each other.
In recent years, Marvel started the “Multiverse Saga,” which allowed for incredible stories like “Loki,” “What If…?,” and “WandaVision.” Now, “Agatha All Along” is part of this journey, focusing on Dark Magic, which was also a theme in “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.”
Being a spin-off, “Agatha All Along” is linked to past Marvel projects. But in Marvel’s tradition, shows and movies also help set up future projects. For example, look at “Deadpool & Wolverine.”
This gives creators a lot of responsibility. It can make even the most dedicated Marvel fans question if the focus is on quality or on just adding more characters.
Perri asked Schaeffer if the overarching Marvel Universe impacted “Agatha All Along” in any way. Schaeffer said she has never had a situation where Kevin Feige, the head of Marvel Studios, came in and demanded a specific character be included.
However, she mentions that the creative team often gets involved when planning the ending or any additional scenes after the main story. They consider who should appear and what message to send at the end of the show.
So, are there no cameos? Not necessarily. “Agatha All Along” might open doors for future Marvel spin-offs or films, but Schaeffer is not revealing any details yet. Like “WandaVision” and “Black Widow,” which Schaeffer also wrote, Agatha’s series will be a standalone show that Marvel fans can enjoy.
It will have great visual effects and introduce new characters, giving fans more of the witchcraft they loved seeing in Wanda’s last appearance.
Perri asked about the rules that the creative team followed when making the Witches’ Road. Schaeffer says rules are very important to her and help guide the story. The Witches’ Road is a legendary path that only witches can follow. In the comics, it is described as a dangerous and tricky road.
Still from the series (Disney +)
Schaeffer explained that making this road from scratch was a challenge. “WandaVision” was hard to make, but this series was even more difficult because they had to build the concept of witchcraft in the MCU. The Witches’ Road is part of this magical world, and the team had to figure out the rules for this journey.
Schaeffer said that during production, they learned a lot about what rules were important. For example, covens share both blessings and burdens. They also came up with ideas like not stepping off the road, which allowed them to explore what happens when someone does. Schaeffer says it was a fun process that felt like being a kid again.
At the D23 event, the cast performed a song that gave more hints about the Witches’ Road. Perri asked if there would be more music in the show. Schaeffer confirmed that music will continue to be a part of the series in surprising ways.
The show has an ensemble cast, which includes Joe Locke, Sasheer Zamata, Patti LuPone, Ali Ahn, Debra Jo Rupp, and Aubrey Plaza. Agatha is freed from Wanda’s spell by a teenage boy, played by Joe Locke. He asks her to guide him on the Witches’ Road, and together they form a new coven.
The new coven, along with Agatha, gets involved in at least one impressive musical number. Perri had seen up to Episode 4 and confirmed that there will be more musical moments. Perri asked if the cast was chosen for their singing skills, but Schaeffer says that was not the plan.
The focus was on finding the right actors for the roles. It just so happened that many of them, like Patti LuPone and Ali Ahn, had musical talents. Joe Locke, for instance, went on to perform on Broadway after the show. Schaeffer says it felt like these talents came together in a magical way.
“Agatha All Along” promises to be an interesting addition to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, blending dark magic, intricate storytelling, and new characters. With Jac Schaeffer at the helm, fans can expect a fresh, creative take on Agatha Harkness as she navigates her post-WandaVision life.
Still from upcoming episode (Disney+)
This series will not only detail Agatha’s journey but also introduce the rich lore of witchcraft in the MCU, including the mysterious Witches’ Road. The rules and challenges Agatha faces will deepen fans’ understanding of magic in this universe, expanding on what was hinted at in previous films like “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.”
Schaeffer’s thoughtful approach to character development, combined with the show’s visually stunning effects, musical elements, and rich storytelling, sets the stage for another hit within the MCU.
The inclusion of a talented ensemble cast, including Joe Locke, Sasheer Zamata, Patti LuPone, and Aubrey Plaza, adds an extra layer of excitement and star power to the series. “Agatha All Along” offers something for everyone—whether you’re a longtime Marvel fan or new to the franchise.
As the series premieres, viewers will be taken on a journey full of surprises, magic, and unexpected twists. The bewitching world of Agatha Harkness is about to cast its spell once again, and fans are in for a thrilling ride.
