“Wouldst thou like to live deliciously?” Robert Eggers makes his film debut with ‘The Witch’ – this eerie New England folktale enraptured audiences at Sundance and breathes life into a genre oversaturated with corny jump scares and found footage disasters. Inspired by traditional folklore and drawing its dialogue from writings and transcripts from the year of 1630, the plot follows a family who are excommunicated from a Puritan community. Their exiled predicament sees them set up a small, solitary farm on the edge of a foreboding forest; when their new born son mysteriously vanishes and their crops begin to fail, the family slowly begin to turn on one another. What unravels is a chilling portrait of a family crumbling beneath their own fears and anxieties, leaving them prey for an inescapable evil.
Eggers excels as a writer in his ability to sustain atmosphere amidst a gripping storyline and character development. This film possesses the ability to leave situations open to interpretation for the audience while providing fascinating revelations at the same time. The cinematography is stunning and clever use of camera work alongside stellar performances from the cast involved make for a breath taking masterpiece. Game of Thrones actors Kate Dickie (Lysa Arryn) and Ralph Ineson (Dagmar Cleftjaw) excel in their roles of the dedicated but bereft parents, Katherine and William. The real star of The Witch, however, is Anna Taylor-Joy who takes on the role of the family’s teenage daughter Thomasin. She offers up a performance that will creep its way under your skin and stay there long after the credits have rolled.
The Witch may have been marketed as a modern horror, however, it is so much more than that with intelligent and thoughtful references to the artwork of Goya, as well as insightful and well researched depictions of pre-Salem witch trial witchcraft and Satanism. The score, while well composed, could have taken more of a backseat – while it fits the moods of the film, it can sometimes overpower the more poignant scenes.
The Satanic Temple has endorsed this movie and hosted several screenings of the film. Their spokesperson, Jex Blackmore, addressed the film as “an impressive presentation of Satanic insight that will inform contemporary discussion of religious experience.” If that isn’t inspiration enough to go and see this work of art, then bear in mind that “master of horror”, Stephen King, has stated that this film terrified him. Delve in without expectations of cheap, Michael Bay-esque thrills and simply immerse yourself in the slow burning beauty of this intensely creepy work of art. “I will guide thy hand.”
(Angela Davey)
30/03/2016 at 5:56 pm
Cracking review of a cracking movie.