The Witch [Includes Digital Copy] [4K Ultra HD Blu-ray/Blu-ray] [2015]

I saw this film in theaters. It's one of the single most terrifying movies I've ever seen. I didn't once scream. I didn't once yell out in surprise. Instead I shrunk into my chair. I squirmed and forced myself to watch. I chewed on my balled up fists. My jaw was slack and "oh god..OH GOD NO" kept slipping out as whispers. The acting is phenomenal, the direction is impeccable and the music is stunningly fitting. The atmosphere is oppressive to the point of almost being a physical force. For days afterwards, I could feel it's repercussions. The entire film felt deeply evil, like I wasn't supposed to watch it. The most unsettling scene in the movie in my opinion has little to no blood or violence in it. It's the supreme skill of acting of everyone involved that makes you feel their helplessness against the supernatural force that's tormenting them that makes it so deeply disturbing. There was a rumor in the 70s and 80s that the evangelist Billy Graham had told his followers that every print of The Exorcist had a demon possessing every copy of the movie and watching the movie would allow that demon into your life to torment you. The Witch just may have such a demon attached because it seeps into your subconscious and the images and story haunt you for days afterwards and as such, should not be viewed by anyone who likes sleeping well. This film doesn't rely on jump scares, or gore or peril. It digs much deeper and will unnerve and disturb you like no other film can.

I want to help out many of you right off the bat. If the term "horror film," brings up visions of Jason, Freddy, and other things that go bump in the night, or if you need constant killing, explosions, chasing, or "action," let's say; then I would say just completely look a different direction if considering this film. This is NOT THAT FILM. It would be like telling someone who thinks of comedy as being Dumb and Dumber, and giving them Shakespeare and telling them, “no really, it’s a comedy.” If you like more psychological horror, and something a bit deeper, and darker, something more unsettling, or if you are open to broadening that idea of what a horror film is, then this may be the film for you. The film essentially makes no apologies about being a folk tale. It is a dark and dreary folk tale no doubt, but this film will ask a bit more of your attention. The dialogue is based on the actual folk tales the film used to make the story and therefore is VERY difficult to follow, even though they are speaking English! I would dare say watch the film once as is, then a second time with the subtitles on. The film touches on the somewhat archaic beliefs and religious views of the times, and how a family ties in their lives completely to said beliefs. So if crops don’t grow, or you get sick etc. it is because you are failing in your faith essentially. Throw in a nasty witch that resides off in the darkness of the woods and this makes for some interesting storytelling to say the least. The film is graphic, and will be very, VERY unsettling for some. So take note of that, this is an adult film by all means. The entire film is dark, cloudy, and “grey,” if you will, and one of the most atmospheric films I have ever watched. The acting is top notch in every way, and spectacularly nuanced. There is so much more to the story if you can really, really pay attention and listen to what they are saying. I would say if you found films such as Rosemary’s Baby, or The Shining, to be up your alley, then by all means give this film a go. It is much more of a still, creeping, evil that pays off in spades. Again, this film is not for everyone, but I can’t help thinking that over the years this film will only grow in its appreciation and will be looked back on as something totally different for the times. In many ways the film is much scarier than most of the horror that comes out because this film is dead serious. There are no silly one liners or inside jokes. This is a film about evil, and not just the evil that the witch brings with her, but the religious as well.

Maybe it was the expectations, maybe it was the promise of something fresh in a genre we only get one or two exceptional pieces in each year, but whichever way you cut it The Witch is something of a letdown. Still, as I walked out of the theater I couldn't help but to feel I'd just witnessed something I wasn't supposed to see. Writer/director Robert Eggers has adapted his story from old folklore and stories of supposed witchcraft in the New England region circa 1630 that have been passed down over generations and has even used a fair amount of dialogue from journals and other written accounts that still exist. While this is nothing short of fascinating and makes for an authentic-feeling atmosphere that unfortunately ends up being the films single greatest strength. The lurking woods that lay just outside the house of William, his wife Katherine and their five children including newborn Samuel stand as something of a no-man's land that is a constant reminder of just how little wiggle room there is for our characters. This is not only true of their physical space, but of their mindset as William and Katherine lead a devout Christian life and teach their children to do the same. We never look at the characters as ignorant or naive, but more in the light of them having a very narrow view of how to explain things and thus the film itself feels trapped in this little box just waiting to burst out with the supernatural sorcery that seems to lie just on the other side of those woods. Of course, some would argue that is what is so beautiful about the story as well-that it is restrained enough throughout thus making its final minute all the more haunting. The thing is, for that final minute to be something of a payoff the previous eighty-eight have to be enthralling enough for that final one to make a serious impact and in that regard, The Witch simply isn't consistent enough to warrant the gasp it so desperately yearns for.

I found "The Witch" to be a generally unnerving film, and one which--though I would not place it in the pantheon of scariest flicks I've ever seen--had some moments that I'll not easily forget. The atmosphere Eggers creates alone is enough to wrench serious dread from scenes other directors would be otherwise unable to make even remarkable. The score, too, helps cull this dark tone and adds life to a film that can be borderline tedious. That being said, "The Witch" is not for everyone. It is strange, slow but steady, gruesome at points, and almost un-watchable at others. There are two sides to this film; one which I had hoped the director would stick to concerning the family and their struggle with religion and isolation; and another which plays as an undercurrent to most of the film and then takes charge in the end. Sadly, it is this second side which keeps me from giving the film a better score, and that ultimately hurts the film in the very final scene. Overall, I enjoyed "The Witch" and its originality. Eggers has achieved a film that, for all its low-budget and independent film background, feels richer and better made than many horror entries of late. Should you decide to see it, a word of caution: do not expect a fast-paced movie full of jump scares and creepy crawlies emerging left and right. As the opening credits remind the audience, this is a folktale. One that does not shy away from exploring the real dark places.

In the year since its debut at the Sundance Film Festival, where it won the 2015 Directing Award for newcomer Robert Eggers (who also scripted), I’ve been hearing how terrifying "The Witch" is. So I’ll just say this upfront: I didn't find it frightening. What I did find, however, was an incredibly atmospheric piece of filmmaking, inspired by numerous bits of New England folklore. Eggers and cinematographer Jarin Blaschke palpably evoke a sense of time and place in this 1630-set tale, centered around a devoutly Puritanical family of seven that has settled near the edge of a densely wooded forest, undeterred by the ominous, atonal string music that’s migrated in from "The Exorcist." “God has cursed this family,” Katherine (Kate Dickie) bellows to her tall, bearded husband, William (Ralph Ineson). He’ll have none of it, though, even after their infant son Samuel disappears while in the care of his teenaged sister Thomasin (newcomer Anya Taylor-Joy), apparently abducted by a naked, withered old hag who appears to have just stepped out of room 237’s bathtub in "The Shining"’s Overlook Hotel. Samuel “had sin in his heart,” William observes, oblivious to the “sin” that sits in his possibly bewitched daughter’s name. But I digress.

The best way I can describe this film is if you went to see Sam Raimi's SPIDER-MAN and the movie ended when he puts on his actual final Spider-Man costume. I paid to see Spider-Man, so that's where my disappointment with THE WITCH comes from. Yes, this is an origin story and that's where my disappointment lies because the film ended right when I thought it had finally started to kick butt. Spoiler Alert: the horror is real, and any of the graphic horror scenes shown are terrific for horror fans and are truly visceral and memorable, but having come in with all the hype I expected a terrifying experience. But the film doesn't offer any moments of tension or suspense. It is a family drama first and foremost and that's a good strength and an intelligent strength as it examines how , a force can manipulate us when we are in a particular situation, and how we can succumb to evil even if our intentions were always what we thought were best. I would still say this is a must-see for horror fans, it is a film worth discussing afterwards and I know I will watch it many more times. With my expectations diminished, it'll surely be more enjoyable because the production value and acting are all top notch.

I was blown away by this film. I love horror, but acknowledge that the genre tends to be infested by terrible movies. Even the best of them tend to do only a couple of things very well. Given that horror films get to play with all of our emotions, it always bothers me that the genre isn't filled with incredible films. There are some that transcend the genre and sit with the best of cinema—The Shining, The Exorcist, Poltergeist, The Thing, Alien—most only hold value as "horror films" rather than just as "films". "The Witch" can be immediately added to that short list of incredible films to come out of the horror genre. The quality of this film sits directly on the shoulders of a brand new director, Robert Eggars. His second film is set to be a remake of Nosferatu (a film I've dreamed of remaking myself!). I'm glad it is his capable hands, even if it means I'll never get to make my own version! For some fun, look up the parody-trailer of The Witch if it were to have been made by Wes Anderson ("Royal Tenenbaums", "The Grand Budapest Hotel").

This is a dark - and sad - story of a 16th century family living on the outskirts of a country side in Old England, scratching a living from the land. The entire family succumbs to their own superstition - and the apparent truth - of witchcraft. The story is great, but the sound pickup of their voices could have been better, especially because the script has them speaking in an earlier form of English, so that, in combination with the less than ideal voice pickup, can make it a bit of a challenge to understand their speech. This is not a blood and gore type horror story, but rather a sophisticated and matter-of-fact retelling depiction of true events from records from the 16h century. It's a bit slow at first, but it gets more interesting as it goes on. It's kind of an Art Film, so you may or may not like it. But it's definitely engaging and unique, and a film you will not easily forget..