Hex (1973 film)

Hex is a 1973 American Western supernatural horror film directed by Leo Garen and starring Keith Carradine, Cristina Raines, Hillarie Thompson, Dan Haggerty, Gary Busey, and Scott Glenn. Set in 1919, its plot follows a wayward band of motorcyclists who seek shelter at a rural Nebraska farm inhabited by two Native American sisters. When one of the motorcyclists tries to rape the younger sister, the elder places a curse on them, resulting in their subsequent deaths.

Blending supernatural horror with elements of classic Westerns and the contemporary biker film, Hex was written by Garen and Stephen Katz, based on a story by Vernon Zimmerman and Doran Cannon. The film was shot on location at the Cheyenne River Indian Reservation in South Dakota during the fall of 1971, and was distributed by 20th Century Fox. The film was shelved for nearly two years while the studio re-cut it into a more straightforward occult-themed horror film.

The film was released in the fall of 1973, opening at the Atlanta Film Festival, where it won the Golden Jury Award for Best Film. Through September 1973, it screened in some locations, before receiving regional test releases as Hex on 21 November of that year.