The Witch (2015)

 

Horrormovies have been a staple of cinema, yet it isn't always easy to create something that is genuinely disturbing or haunting, especially in a day and age where many moviemakers rely on special effects to do a lot of the lifting. And then there comes director Robert Eggers. This guy manages to create some of the most eerie and spellbinding dark tales in recent years. 

Heck, this is his debut and it is already a creepily good dark tale. 

Well done sir. Well done.

Set roughly in the 17th century, a while before the most infamous of all witch trials ever (the Salem one), a Puritan family is cast out from the town because the father refuses to conform to the rules of the community. His fanaticism forces them to set out into the wild and forge a path for themselves. This, of course, is far from easy as he is clearly not a farmer at heart yet is too proud to admit it. Furthermore, the family is already on shaky ground, as the eldest daughter Thomasin (a wonderfully brilliant Anya Taylor-Joy) has reached that age where she begins to question a lot of things, which is seen an sinful. Not only that, but her younger brother Caleb is edging into puberty and at times has a fascination for his sister that borders on the incestuous.

Hurray for extremist religion, right? Stifle normal behaviour and create people with warped minds. 

The family is already on edge, but when the baby disappears, things start to unravel fast. The young twins the family has become rowdy and defiant and constantly sing songs about their billy goat Black Phillip and the mother starts to lay the blame for pretty much everything right at Thomasin's door, as she was the one tasked with minding the baby when it vanished. Even worse, the harvest is failing and the father has no other option but to try and find food in the forest, even though they all feel there is an ominous presence lurking there.

And yet it gets even worse, as soon after even Caleb vanishes for a while and returns home seemingly possessed, heralding a series of events that will soon ravage the family beyond the point of no return.

Witchcraft or not? 

'The Witch' is most excellent at building tension throughout. It is a slow burn, yes, but it works in the story's favour. There are glimpses that there might be a supernatural entity at work, but for the most part, it could also be that this family is quickly disintegrating, madness setting in and they are all imagining things or just going bonkers thanks to isolation and religious fanaticism. 

But in actuality, there is in fact a very real witch lurking in the shadows. It's not much of a spoiler, as she's introduced rather quickly, yet is mostly a vague threat in the background and you could take this all as a metaphor until the very end. This revelation doesn't detract from the downfall of sanity nearly all in this tale have. And you'll never feel comfortable around goats or hares again, that's for sure. 

Also massive props to the few actors that all do an excellent job. Nearly all of the runtime is spent with just the family and each and every one plays it beautifully, with miss Taylor-Joy being our focal point, proving she's one heck of an actress. 

In short: this is one of the better horrorstories of the last decade and a definite must watch for anyone who likes their movies dark, twisted and atmospheric.