In 1630's New England, a family of seven is banished from their colonial plantation to live out their lives at the edge of a forest. Strange things start to happen as their crops start to die and the youngest child in the family suddenly disappears. A mystery ensues with the oldest daughter Thomasin being accused of witchcraft, a claim she adamantly denies. Thomasin needs to prove she is not a witch following the devil or she will be banished from the family farm.
The Witch is nothing like you've seen before which is a part of what makes it so good. It leaves you guessing then has you second-guessing your guesses. It's a mystery horror film where the horror doesn't come in the gore or how many times you jump. Rather the horror for the viewer comes with watching as everything unfolds. It's creepy. It makes your skin crawl. Yet you can't look away.
This creepy tone was captured extremely well both in the acting and visual imagery. You can feel the uneasiness emanating through the family members as terror runs amok on the farm. Every single actor did a fabulous job, although I can't reveal who my personal favorite was without a spoiler.
In terms of the scenery, there appeared to be a dark overcast gracing every shot, regardless of whether it was day or night. I'm sure director Robert Eggers did this on purpose. It was a touch not lost on me. It kept my brain in a constant state of high-alert.
In terms of the negatives, one glaring one that stood out was the father William (Ralph Ineson) being extremely hard to follow in terms of dialect. Knowing he was speaking English made it all the more frustrating because I knew I should have been understanding him the whole time. I could lie and tell you that I was able to eventually work my way through it and understand him but I won't. This guy ended up using subtitles. Not ashamed one bit.
The Witch will give you an unsettling feeling that, in a twisted way, is somewhat gratifying. It definitely accomplishes what it sets out to do. I give it an 88.
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