Scrutinized by the citizens of their residency, a family of seven with strong Christian beliefs camps near a forest in solitude. While under the watch of their oldest daughter, Thomasin, the family’s newborn son mysteriously disappears. With Thomasin being the focal point of blame, the family looks past a true evil that lurks in the woods. Their crops soon begin to spoil, and the family begins to turn on one another. Fear and grief soon lead them to a life of almost constant misery and disdain. And while that may sound relatively joyless and uncomfortable – Robert Eggers The Witch weaves through the sub genres of witchcraft, possession, and demonianism in the most tasteful of manners.

The Witch pushes the boundaries of horror in a way that no other witch movie has done in a very long time… maybe ever.

Speaking of Eggers, this is the first feature length film that we’ve seen from the talented up and coming director — proving that you don’t need an over-the-top resume to generate a beautiful and well executed movie. Not only is The Witch visually pleasing, but it’s downright mind-boggling as well. There is a plethora of symbolism present throughout the experience, and if you take the time to look deeper into what’s happening it becomes all the more rewarding. That said, this is a film that keeps its audience guessing until the closing moments of screen time, and the uncanny persona that the film possesses is very well fitted to the atmosphere in which it presents itself. That atmosphere actually plays a huge role here. Don’t go into this one expecting jump scares and brash audio-induced frights. This is a slow ride of uncomfortable, disturbing. and haunting situations.

While the directing and cinematography is certainly breathtaking, the performances turned in by The Witch’s relatively unknown cast is truly something to behold. The chemistry between these actors is simply astonishing. I’d even go so far as to say the child stars outshine the adults, and that rarely ever happens. Everything feels natural, and the sequence of emotions that these characters go through is portrayed flawlessly on screen . 

This is a slow ride of uncomfortable, disturbing. and haunting situations.

The Witch is drastically different from typical mainstream Hollywood horror — as you might expect, but it’s also very different from many other witch themed movies. The past couple of decades have seen titles such as The CovenantThe Craft, and even the recently released Cherry Tree.  And while these movies are fun to watch in their own right — they remain in the safe zone and appear to cater to a completely different audience. The Witch pushes the boundaries of horror in a way that no other witch movie has done in a very long time… maybe ever. Of course there is always room for improvement.

Everything about The Witch is above satisfactory. The story, the acting, the atmosphere, and of course the ending.

The 16th century Shakespearean dialect can make the film’s long and lengthy dialog difficult to understand at times. This was particularly frustrating when you can pick up just enough of what is being said to know that it’s important to the plot. However, even with me struggling to audibly comprehend certain parts of the film, I must admit that the dialect adds an authenticity that would gravely be missed in its absence.

If you’re one of those people that likes their horror movies outside of the box, then The Witch is undoubtedly a must-see. It will leave you pondering its events even hours after the credits have rolled. Everything about The Witch is above satisfactory. The story, the acting, the atmosphere, and of course the ending.

The Witch opens in theaters February 19th.

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