'The Witch' - terrifying & bewitching

'The Witch' can be added to the growing list of 'Indie' horror movies that seek not to frighten us with cheap 'boo' thrills, but seek to worm their way into our very psyche.  A taunt, terrifying film that sets the mood not only through starting imagery, but through the somber soundtrack that builds the momentum of each scene. Written & directed by first timer Robert Eggers, 'The Witch' is just the type of horror film that brings me back to a Stanley Kubrick or even an early John Carpenter classic.  If Eggers can keep this type of creativity up, we are in store for some very excellent films!

'The Witch' is a very unsettling burn as it slowly builds the tension through mood, music and terrific actors. Set in New England during the early 1600's, 'The Witch' is a look at the subjugation of women, the puritanic beliefs of the day that would lead many to false accusations (The Salem Witch Trials, on which some of this is based) and the role of blind faith in society, yes, even in our current society today.  A family of 6 is forced from it's community, for a reason that is little explained but seems to have something to do with the father's Christian faith and preaching outside of the church.  The family relocates to the edge of a very deep and dark forest; now while that may sound a bit cliche, the moody greys, the lack of sun and the very vastness of the area all play a major role in the mood of the film.

Shortly after moving to the cabin the eldest daughter, Thomasin (the very talented Anya Taylor-Joy), is out in the edge of the woods with her infant brother and while playing an innocent game of 'peek-a-boo', the child disappears. While no one actually sees the witch that steals the child, the father, William (Ralph Ineson), the mother, Kathrine (Kate Dickie), the younger brother, Caleb (Harvey Scrimshaw) and the bratty twins, Mercy (Ellie Grainger) and Jonas (Lucas Dawson), all sense the evil surrounding them.  They turn to their religious beliefs and when that seems to fail, they turn upon themselves, spiraling downward into a black-hole of mistrust.

Soon, that evil mistrust falls to Thomasin who is accused of consorting with the devil.  'The Witch' is so much more than a horror film, it is a study of the human character and what happens when one puts far too much faith in one direction or the other.  With the early English cadence, the dialogue is perfectly fitting for the tone of the film and the powerhouse acting of the young Anya Taylor-Joy & Harvey Scrimshaw, who both really carry this film home.

I would have loved to give this a 4 star rating, sadly, the final scene is a bit of a cop-out, opting more for some very startling imagery instead of wrapping the story convincingly.  But, for what it is worth, this moody, terrifying and possibly the best horror film of the year so far deserves a very healthy 3 1/2 stars!