As with all of my reviews of films for The Creepercast, I fully recommend that you check each and every one of them out. I am one man and this is my opinion. I've seen plenty of movies that received reviews that were the complete opposite of how I saw the film. These writers, directors, producers and actors all put a lot of time and love into these projects. They deserve to be seen and appreciated for what they are. Everyone has a dream and I fully support the people that take the time to make theirs a reality. With that being said....
When you go see a horror film, there is a certain expectation. Not that this is a bad thing, but you go into it with the knowledge that there is a road tested formula that will most likely be executed again, to satisfy the masses. However, every once in a while, you come across something different. Something that kind of sets you on your ear. A piece of film making that dismantles your expectations and provides you with something new and unexpected. 'The Witch' is one of those types of films and within the first 5 minutes, I could already tell that I was in for something out of the norm.
To begin, you should know that I've never been a fan of “witch” films. Outside of the 3 witches that haunted Shakespeare's writings or the ones from 'The Wizard of Oz', I never felt a connection with the concept or characterization. Perhaps it was something about the way they were portrayed or just a lack of originality in the style in which they have been presented over the past several decades? Not unlike the werewolf genre, the witch has no draw for me to the cinema. 'Lords of Salem' is the only film in the past decade that caught my attention and made me eager to see what Rob Zombie had to offer to the genre.... but that's a different review.
'The Witch' is the directorial debut of Robert Eggers. A man who did not want to wade into the deep end of the pool slowly, he made sure that he was going to leave an impression on the film goers who ventured in to see his maiden voyage. This film also doesn't rely on well know celebrities and instead stars several lesser known actors and actresses, which lends more credibility to the story line. The films takes place during the 1630's and tells the story of a family of 7, who are starting a new life, out in the newly settled Americas. It's been rough, so far, attempting to settle an area with very little to live on and so many mouths to feed. Meanwhile, there is a legend of a witch that lives in the forest behind their homestead, which is making things more difficult. It's not long before the youngest of the family disappears, while being watched by the oldest daughter, Thomasin. Unable to find him, the family slowly begins to suspect that he's been taken by the evil that dwells in the forest. Being strong and devout Christians, they pray for a swift return and denounce the devil in the woods. Soon, a long shadow begins stretch across the family as the next two youngest children accuse Thomasin of being a witch. When the second oldest son, Caleb, goes missing, the family realizes that their worst fear may be a reality. From that point on, things spin out into a downward spiral that you have to live through with the family, so I won't provide any additional spoilers here.
So what sets apart this film from so many others? A lot, actually. First of all, the cinematography is extremely well done and thought out. Granted, I highly suggest that you watch this is a completely dark room, in order to appreciate the subtleties that Mr. Eggers was going for. It is almost too dark at times and I feel that this was a stylistic choice that he made, to increase the feeling that you're there with the family, as they're going through this terrifying ordeal. There is also a very keen use of music and sounds. With so little that actually takes place in the story, it's key to use other things to keep the viewer interested and to convey the sense of oncoming dread and horror. The next thing that really sets this apart, is the dialogue. It may just be the one thing that keeps this from ever being more than a genre piece or a highly regarded horror show. It's so difficult to understand the characters and to catch on to the manner of speaking at the time, that it almost detracts the viewer from the experience. But, by that same token, it immerses you that much more into the world that he has created. This isn't a period piece with a modern twist. 'The Witch' is a full on representation of what it was like at that time, not only visually, but verbally as well as spiritually. The family of settlers relies on religion for everything and this is as much of a curse as it is a blessing. I, personally, found the script to be very hard to understand at first. It's such a jarring thing to hear how they structure a sentence and the words that they use. Even by the end of the film, I was struggling to make out what was happening. It's a bit of a shock to me that Hollywood put so much support behind something that was so incredibly niche. That's a good thing, however, to think that maybe it's not all about the bottom line. Not that this film is bad or undeserving of any praise. It's just a shock that something that has such limited appeal, would be pushed so hard on the average movie goer. Please don't let that be a reason to avoid this film. I just feel that it's better to be prepared for what you're about to see, than to be turned off by it.
All in all, 'The Witch' truly stands alone in amongst all the other horror that's come out recently. I can honestly say that I don't know if I'll ever need to see it again, but I'm glad that I gave it a chance. It was an experience that I recommended to anyone who feels that they've seen it all, in terms of horror films. From beginning to end, it's a very slow burn that I'm not entirely sure pays off as much as it could have. However, I also don't know what else could have been done to improve upon the completed product. It set out to portray life in another time and in the truest way possible. I think the one thing that made the film stick with me the most, was what happened right before the credits. There was a couple of paragraphs that flashed on the screen and said something to the effect of, “This film is the composite of actual stories of witchcraft during this time period.” There was more to it than that, but that's the basic breakdown. This little bit of knowledge, after the film was done, made me want to go back through the entire film and watch it again with a fresh pair of eyes. The real horror was in the fact that people believed these tales and that people were persecuted because of it. That's the scariest part of all. These stories were true. Not that the events actually happened, but that word of mouth could create such terror in a time that already had so much uncertainty. It left an impression on me and gave me a different way at looking at a time in our countries past. One that couldn't have been done the same way, in any other genre. So for that, kudos Robert Eggers, for doing something original and not letting anyone tamper with the way you wanted to present it to the audience. That, alone, was worth the price of admission. In terms of entertainment, I give it 3 out of 5 stars, but in terms of it's place in horror history.... I give it 4 out of 5 stars. Watch it, at least, once. You won't regret it. Just be sure to do it in the dark, with no distractions.
If you like this, also check out: 'The Lords of Salem', 'The Blair Witch Project' and 'Sleepy Hollow'
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