The Witch

The Witch

In 1630, a farmer relocates his family to a remote plot of land on the edge of a forest where strange, unsettling things happen. With suspicion and paranoia mounting, each family member's faith, loyalty and love are tested in shocking ways.

  • Released: 2015-01-27
  • Runtime: 92 minutes
  • Genre: Drama, Horror, Mystery
  • Stars: Anya Taylor-Joy, Ralph Ineson, Kate Dickie, Harvey Scrimshaw, Ellie Grainger, Lucas Dawson, Bathsheba Garnett , Sarah Stephens, Julian Richings, Daniel Malik, Axtun Henry Dube, Athan Conrad Dube, Vivien Moore, Karen Kaeja, Brandy Leary, R. Hope Terry, Carrie Eklund, Madlen Sopadzhiyan, Paul Kenworthy, Mark Millmna, Andy Volpe, Phillip Wynne, Annawon Weeden, Michael O’Hare, Chris Messier, Ron Young, Nora Messier, Bill Rudder, Grace Duffy, Sophie Bermudez, Corrine Manning, Heather Fisher
  • Director: Robert Eggers
 Comments
  • TheCapsuleCritic - 2 July 2024
    Bracingly Original Debut From Director Robert Eggars.
    I am not at all surprised by all the buzz (positive and negative) that THE WITCH has received. It is not at all what the trailers would lead you to believe. Instead of a 17th century BLAIR WITCH PROJECT or the standard jump cut, sound cue, blood bath that constitutes most horror movies today, it is a poetic meditation on what 17th century people believed witches were capable of. In that sense it recalls a Swedish silent film from 1922 called HAXAN (The Witches) which explores legends of witchcraft from Medieval times through the present day (ca.1922). The subtitle "A New England Folk Tale" is accurate and appropriate as, even though it unfolds in real time, it tells the story of what happened to one 17th century family who were exiled (ban-ish-ed) from their community for being overzealous.

    The re-creation of a 17th century setting complete with costumes, settings, and characters speaking King James English was remarkably well done. The performances by all the actors were all spot on. Utilizing little known performers helped to enforce the illusion that these were real people that we, the audience, happened to time travel back to. The cinematography was stunning and the disturbing, period sounding score was remarkably effective enhancing the doom laden atmosphere of the surroundings and the story being told. Special mention should be given to two performers whose characters are deeply affected by what happens to them. They are Kate Dickie as the mother and especially Harvey Scrinshaw (great name!) as the oldest son Caleb.

    First time feature director Robert Eggers also wrote the original and disturbing screenplay. A lot of it seems taken from an anthology of witchcraft folklore called WITCHES, WRAITHS & WARLOCKS by Peter Haining which reproduces folk tales from England & New England. It is also written in archaic King James English,which makes it hard to understand. Fortunately the DVD/Blu-Ray comes equipped with subtitles so that you can fully understand what you are hearing. It helps to clarify not only what the actors are saying but what is going plotwise. THE WITCH is certainly not for your average horror film fan but for a more demanding audience that is willing to spend time with it and let it develop. When the big payoff finally comes, it is worth hanging around for. All in all, a remarkable effort which I'll be revisiting on a regular basis...For more reviews visit The Capsule Critic.
  • brsger - 11 March 2024
    Bonkers but great.
    Honestly, this is horror done right.

    Coming from two decades of generic slashers and wannabe tension driven psychological dramas (which didn't work out), The VVitch is a huge step in the right direction and gave start to the last 9 years of a genre's revival.

    Eggers cast perfectly, the location and setting are astonishingly eerie and the isolation felt is so real.

    The twins make me want to reconsider my stance on not hitting children, Taylor-Joy's performance is subtle but great, Dickie is very similar to her character in Game of Thrones, but it works. The boy is second best imo but the absolute show stealer for me is Ralph Ineson. 10/10 Haunting sound design, specific colour grading and authentic dialogue give this movie a unique style which is hard to find in this genre.

    Some clunky editing in the middle and tad bit over the top -ness reduce it to an 8 out of 10 for me.

    But it's still great!

    The last 25 minutes are certainly a highlight and make me recommend it to all horror fans.