The Witch (2016) | Film Review

It is the 1630s and a family of Christian Puritans have been banished from their settlement under mysterious circumstances. William (Ralph Ineson) and his wife, Katherine (Kate Dickie), decide to settle with their five children on the cusp of a vast forest’s edge. Isolated and no longer a member of their community, the family must now fend for itself; hunting, caretaking, etc. One day – as the oldest child, Thomasin (Anya Taylor-Joy), tends to her infant brother – a momentary glance away results in the disappearance of baby Sam. Who took the child? Was it a wolf in the woods? Or something infinitely more demonic, like a witch? This traumatic event leads to the family slowly turning in on themselves, allowing doubt to cloud their psyches as both religious fanaticism and madness begin to maniacally creep in.

Writer and director Robert Eggers eschews the modern tropes of horror – gore, cheap moments of blaring music, shock and awe – and instead crafts a more artistic piece that examines numerous elements of witchcraft, Christian worship, and Satanism, all without beating us over the heads with his personal beliefs, whatever they may be. ‘The Witch’ is a film of atmosphere, of tension building. If you are the type of moviegoer who prefers to watch an unstoppable killer hack-and-slash their way through the prairie countryside, strap yourself in for disappointment. Likewise, if you are a deeply religious individual – one who is personally offended with gleeful incorporations of Beelzebub or animals used for divine intervention – sit this one out. This is a methodical thinking piece with numerous layers and multiple interpretations, and Satan is an instrument of all of them.

That is about all I can say regarding what transpires throughout ‘The Witch’, as the fresher you walk in, the better your experience. I will tell you that while you might enter with trepidation, you will exit with contemplation. What did you just see? What does it all mean? Love it or hate it, ‘The Witch’ is a cauldron of discussion for you and your friends, and even a day later I am still struggling – for better AND worse – with many of the ideas and visuals I recently took in.

The modern horror film has been savagely abused for so long, it doesn’t take much for the foundation to feel like it is being shook at its core. For the better part of a year after playing in film festivals nationwide, ‘The Witch’ has been touted as one of the most terrifying films to attack cinemas in years. Everyone from mainstream critics to Stephen King has sung its praises and heralded its reckoning on the genre itself. So after this massive build-up – this gleeful excitement burrowing in the back of our minds pegging this as the best fright flick since ‘The Babadook’ – do we have ourselves a new master of the macabre?

No. Not even close. ‘The Witch’ is a film I admire for Eggers’ commitment to his tale, for the measured approach he takes in telling it, for some stellar acting (Taylor-Joy is near-impossible to take your eyes off of), and even for some truly terrifying moments on screen. Unfortunately, the first hour is so leisurely paced, no amount of ending revelation can make amends for the boredom endured while the pieces were being set.

‘The Witch’ is a good movie – a solid effort with several chilling moments from a director on the rise – but much like ‘It Follows’ last year, this is not reinventing the wheel. While definitely a callback to the brilliant supernatural pieces from the 70s, this is not an ‘Instant Classic’. There is enough magic here to warrant a stern recommendation, and its spell might even sit with you for a few days longer than expected (and if you are like me, make you feel filthy inside for enjoying its blissfully disturbing conclusion). Ultimately though? Much like the family themselves, this ‘Witch’ and her pagan charms offer much more bark than her bite.