The Witch

2016 • 92 minutes

About this movie

New England, 1630: William and Katherine lead a devout Christian life with their five children, homesteading on the edge of an impassible wilderness. When their newborn son mysteriously vanishes and their crops fail, the family begins to turn on one another. The Witch is a chilling portrait of a family unravelling within their own fears and anxieties, leaving them prey to an inescapable evil. (Original Title - The Witch) - 2015 By Witch Movie, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

Ratings and reviews

People will moan and cry about how it doesn't fit the oh so original horror movie template: heaps of jumpscares, cheesy scripts and bad acting. THIS movie does not follow that route. The Witch carves its very own path with superb acting and a very engaging story. Most people won't lose sleep but the film in undeniably disturbing and a rare gem in today's trash pile of horror flicks.

The true horror here is how a father can turn on his daughter based on his beliefs. This is what is horrific about the movie. Imagine having someone who is meant to love and protect you wanting nothing to do with you and blaming you for the misfortune befalling the family. And despite all your pleading, it falls on ears that do not listen. If you're expecting a conventional horror with the usual scare tactics, this movie isn't it. It's a slow build that creeps you out.

Unfortunately when you are positioned in a season against eye candy like The Reverent, no matter how good your film looks you will always be playing second fiddle to a bigger flick. Hype surrounding the eerie quality of the film drew me in. Unfortunately scares were few and far between. The problem is that, like The Babadook there is no real discernible evil to identify with, theres really nothing but allusion and this is where the film falls short