The Witch

I've been hearing about this film for months. I'd say it has probably had the most hype for a horror film that I've seen in a while...starting back in 2015 when it had a few initial screenings. 

Indications were that it was terrifying and one of the scariest horror films in years with one viewer even stating something to the effect of, "It feels like you're watching something you shouldn't be."

As a fair-weather fan and participant of the horror genre (I tend to only watch highly rated horror films), all this praise put it on my radar. With The Witch, or the oddly referred, "The VVitch", getting closer to release it began to sound more like a well made family drama and less of a horror film and then I went in not really knowing what to expect. 

So, as I don't like to confuse my readers, here's something The Witch is not: 

Scary.

Why the initial reaction to this film was a conglomerate of terrified voices, I really have no idea, but the lack of scares doesn't mean there isn't fear, nor does it make it a bad film. Just a somewhat over-hyped one. 

Screenshot from The Revenant 2: Leo's Revenge

"Rub a dub dub, thanks for the grub, God."

Set in New England in the 1600's, the film follows a family who decides to leave their town and homestead removed from everyone. This highly devout Christian family undergoes a tragedy and a string of events begins to test the family's faith and patience in one another. The film, for better or worse, is impressively committed to the time period with clothing, tools, and rituals all representing the time. This includes the language of the film too, which I appreciated, but it also begs you to pay really close attention to what some characters are saying as some revelations and discussions unfold sounding much different than they would with modern English. Luckily the script is in the very capable hands of a strong cast, all of which who are also fully committed to the time period. By some miracle, the film found four fantastic child actors, the most impressive of which is Anya Taylor-Joy who gets a bulk of the acting duties here. The mother and father are also great and effective in providing a more adult and seasoned reaction to everything that happens. 

One thing that The Witch definitely deserves praise for is its quality. It lives in its atmosphere, which is where most of the fear comes from, and the cinematography, color palette, and original score are all top notch for a horror film and it's clear you're not just watching the typical junk that this genre regurgitates out. None of it is quite up to the level of last year's surprise hit, It Follows, but it's still top tier stuff, and it all culminates to the supreme uneasy and creepy feeling that The Witch excels at. This is not a scary movie in the sense that you'll not jump from fright once, but it is a film that excels in the slow burn and making you feel uncomfortable. 

That moment when:
someone spoils last week's Walking Dead episode.

Really its only fault is that I just didn't feel like it amounted to much. The ending is a bit weak and I felt as if there were some things left unexplained. There isn't really any motivation for why this family is being haunted, nor do we ever learn why they leave their town, and a few character's fates are even left up in the air. It's not that it feels incomplete necessarily, it just felt like there wasn't much purpose behind the whole story. 

Hype and grapevine chatter aside, The Witch is still much better than a lot of other horror films and it excels in creating its setting, mood, and tone, which are often the most important aspects of this genre. Just don't expect to be outright terrified or shaking in your seat because it simply won't happen. 

CONS:

• Lacks overall purpose and it results in a film that seems to not know which direction its going at times
• Leaves quite a bit unexplained in its rushed ending
• Not directly against the movie, but I'm not sure I understand all the "It's so f**king scary" hype surrounding this one
• The older English sometimes makes it hard to follow along 

PROS:

• Nails and commits to its 1600s setting 
• Great performances all around, especially by Anya Taylor-Joy. I'm surprised that they were able to find four quality child actors/actresses
• Well made technically and it has a solid original score
• Accomplishes a really creepy and eerie tone that makes you consistently uncomfortable watching it

Rath's Review Score: 7/10