So I came across this featurette and almost immediately forwarded to our UK folks but then I did the unthinkable. I hit play. This featurette serves as both a trailer and a little bit of insight into the folks who helped create the movie. As with some of the best films it appears that this is a labor of love.
In this exquisitely made and terrifying new horror film, the age-old concepts of witchcraft, black magic and possession are innovatively brought together to tell the intimate and riveting story of one family’s frightful unraveling in the New England wilderness circa 1630.
New England, 1630. Upon threat of banishment by the church, an English farmer leaves his colonial plantation, relocating his wife and five children to a remote plot of land on the edge of an ominous forest — within which lurks an unknown evil. Strange and unsettling things begin to happen almost immediately — animals turn malevolent, crops fail, and one child disappears as another becomes seemingly possessed by an evil spirit. With suspicion and paranoia mounting, family members accuse teenage daughter Thomasin of witchcraft, charges she adamantly denies. As circumstances grow more treacherous, each family member’s faith, loyalty and love become tested in shocking and unforgettable ways.
There are a few interesting moments in this video. None that seem completely unique.but interesting nonetheless. They certainly have the look of the time period down and the pale girl with bleach blonde hair is always a nice touch. I’m honestly not too excited for this one but I’ll root for the underdog nonetheless. UK readers chime in! What’s your take on Robert Eggers’ debut feature?
Trailer:
[Universal]
Shame you guys won’t be featuring a review on the Witch!
I went into this one expecting a cut-and-dry horror movie packed with cheap jump-scares and the like, but was pleased to see that the Witch is quite a different take on horror. The tension throughout the movie is undeniably intense. I spent the duration of the film on the front edge of my seat, and remained riveted in place throughout its entirety. This due almost entirely to the brilliantly chilling music which served an excellent tool for both foreshadowing events and creating an ominous and dangerous mood. The Witch is not a movie for the faint of heart, but for different reasons than most movies of the same genre. The sheer level of tension, anxiety, and that ever-present feeling that something is about to go wrong make the film almost exhausting to watch! That being said, the gore was graphic, but never too excessive, and always had a purpose.
Overall, I would call the Witch a nice departure from the an overused horror formula. The acting felt very real and believable, the gore was never too over the top, the story line was both entertaining and interesting, there wasn’t a single cheap jump-scare, and the musical score absolutely stole the show. My only real complaints were that the action sequences felt few and far between, and the high level of tension leaves the viewer with a feeling not dissimilar to queasiness. I would recommend this film to anyone looking for a departure from the average horror movie!