If you are a fan of period movies that take great effort to create a truly detailed and immersive experience, you can't do much better than The Witch. Apparently it was filmed a stone's throw away from my old stomping grounds in North Bay after quite a search to find the right forest for what writer and director Robert Eggers had in mind. A great amount of research was invested to make sure the colonial New England town in the story was as authentic as possible. The effort put into The Witch is a great accomplishment, and it is difficult to watch it and not feel like were are right there with the characters.
The story is around a family of British settlers that head off into the woods to create a life of their own after some type of argument with the church. We aren't told what exactly the issue was, but the main thing is that we learn that spirituality is of high importance to this family. The father, William (Ralph Ineson), is the reason behind this relocation. The film revolves around the eldest daughter Thomasin (Anya Taylor-Joy), and her relationship with her siblings and parents as their faith is put to the ultimate test.
Life goes sideways for this family with the sudden disappearance of their baby boy. From there, items disappear, crops die, and the thoughts that witchcraft is behind these misfortunes slowly starts making its way into the mind and mouth of the mother, Katherine (Kate Dickie). She is emotionally destroyed from the loss of her infant, and claims from her young twin children point the finger at Thomasin being a witch. From there, well, things devolve pretty quickly.
Eggers seems to know that the scariest part of this movie may not be the creepy events that happen, but rather what happens amongst the characters. Suspicion and judgement grow to a horrifying height, and there is a true sense of having no idea just how things are going to play out. It is this that really makes the experience haunting as we see how people react when the foundations of their faith are tested in the darkest of ways.
The audience is shown in the first act that there is indeed some sort of malevolent force that inhabits the forest at the edge of the family's land. Eggers doesn't shy away from eliminating the whole 'is it real' aspect from the viewing experience. Many other directors would love to play with their audience, making them question if there is indeed some sort of supernatural explanation. With The Witch, we know right away something evil exists. This knowledge enhances the movie when we see the family implode and knowing that the problem isn't Thomasin.
The existence of the witch, and in what form it would take, is played with through the film with the young twins. They are probably around ten, and they like spending time following a goat around that they call Black Phillip. They sing songs about him, and some of the lyrics hint that something isn't right. One of the twins claims to Thomasin that Black Phillip talks to them, giving us a sense that there is some sort of wicked manifestation in the goat.
Up there with the set design as a monumental achievement is the dialogue. I really couldn't tell you if this was indeed how people would have talked in the 1600s, but it is so much more interesting and engaging than just having people with a British accent speaking normally and only adding 'hath,' 'thee', and 'doest.' The unique form of speech did cause an issue for me when I had first seen this movie in theatres. Being able to see it again on Netflix with subtitles aided me a lot. It also gave be a greater appreciation for the work put into the dialogue.
The acting in the film is great across the board, but with two standout performances. Ralph Ineson (who I knew from The Office) is commanding as a patriarch that seems to feel that he must be the backbone of strength for his family. It could be that motivation comes from him taking the family away from the plantation where they were living, bringing them to a location that was secluded and brought many problems with it. Ineson really dives into the character of William, which adds much to the tension that takes place in the final act.
The other outstanding role was that of Anya Taylor-Joy. I hadn't seen her previous to The Witch, but it took next to no time to understand that this young talent was someone to pay attention to. Since The Witch, I have seen her in three movies, and she never disappoints. The skill that she brings to Thomasin is very nuanced. This is a character that we attach to, that we side with, and that we end up getting scared for. We don't know what end her father may bring upon her, and we don't know what the supernatural evil will have in store for her. Her panic and her isolation transfer onto us, making this movie extremely scary for numerous reasons.
For some reason I had only given this movie three and a half stars when I originally saw it. The Witch had some more to reveal to me on the second viewing. When movies can still live as vibrantly on repeat viewings there is something special about it. The Witch is set in a spooky location with a downward spiral of a family, all of it was just as terrifying as when I had seen it in a dark theatre. No, scratch that. It was much more scary the second time.
Rating - 4 out of 4 stars
I love this movie. It feels so literary and like a tale that was passed down the ages. Like all good horror, it is saying something, and in this case, about the dangers of dogmatism and allowing your beliefs control all your decisions and emotions. I think, it is better to see this movie as a scary drama so you don't expect traditional horror scares, but it is a very unsettling movie with lots to say.
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