Overview
Evil takes many forms.
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.
Review
The Witch is an old school movie based of a plethora of folk tales surrounding witches that predate even the Salem Witch Trials. This was a well-received addition to director Robert Eggers’ historical horror offerings which also included The Lighthouse. The Witch such a solid period piece. Even the dialogue is heavily based on settlers in New England in the early 1600s.
Anya Taylor-Joy is a brilliant lead in this film along with a haunting performance by Ralph Ineson. It’s an utterly creepy movie. A family is forced to fend on their own at the outskirts of an unchartered forest where man is estranged and evil lurks. Between old-time religion and the grim and bleak existence of this period of how man struggled to conquer both nature and their superstitions, this is a quietly dark and foreboding film.
My only dislike was the aforementioned dialogue. I really became disconnected during my first viewing of this film due to the sound and dialogue. It was hard to follow. I believe I missed a lot of important details lost in translation. Mostly due to the dialect and the low volume of what was being said between the characters. I fixed the problem during the second viewing. I turned on closed captioning and had a much better, fuller experience appreciating the movie.
Definitely recommended for those hungry for an authentic historical folk horror movie.
Rating: ★★★½ (out of 5)
