A good horror movie thrives on characters. If they are
sketchily written it is difficult investing in their plight. The care
factor would be down to zero diluting any suspenseful impact. ‘The Witch’
realises this with strong characters evident. Full of creepy tension and
genuine dread, it’s an almost old-fashioned scary movie rarely seen. This
method is more than welcome with its discarding of clichéd ‘jump scares’ and
pyrotechnics making it stand out in a crowded field.
In 1630, a family in New England, America are banished from
a town for their religious beliefs. William (Ralph Ineson), his wife
Katherine (Kate Dickie) and their five children decide to live on a farm on the
edge of a forest. Tragedy strikes when their youngest son vanishes.
Aided by their eldest daughter Thomasin (Ana Taylor-Joy), they learn a witch
stalks the forest. Paranoia, fear and superstition arise to grip the
family in its sinister embrace as evil rises to claim more victims.
Directing from his own screenplay, Robert Eggers presents a
genuinely unsettling movie. Anyone expecting gore and endless thrills
will be disappointed. Those wanting an intelligent horror movie full of
percolating fear will gain much from ‘The Witch’. Most of it is due to
its themes of how beliefs impact on a familial unit and how it isolates
them. The harsh landscape perfectly captures this mood as the family’s
reliance on each other is shaken to the core.
None of this would work without fine performances of which
there are many. Ineson and Taylor-Joy are especially good as characters
with unfolding secrets. Whilst the use of old world antiquated English
provides authenticity it occasionally makes the story hard to follow.
Thankfully Eggers doesn’t rely too much on verbal exposition and instead
concentrates on disturbing visuals and an excellent music score.
‘The Witch’ is a very effective chiller with an approach
that may not be to everyone’s tastes. It delivers the goods with a
multi-layered script and scares with it being the type of film that stays with
you long after the end credits with a few dark dreams possibly assured.
Movie Review Rating out of 10: 8
Movie Review by Patrick Moore
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