NEW BLOOD: THE WITCH

THE WITCH
A24
2016 Color
93 Mins.
Horror.Thriller
Anya Tayor-Joy, Ralph Ineson and Kate Dickie star.
Written and Directed by Robert Eggers
Rated R for Violence, gore and Nudity.

The Witch finally arrives on a wave of solid buzz. Centering on a family in the 1630s who is torn apart by witchcraft after the disappearance of a child. There's really not much more to it than that. The Witch is a competently made film with solid performances, gloomy cinematography and a powerful score but the film doesn't really culminate too much. From the terrifying trailers you would expect a taut atmospheric classic horror film and from the buzz you would expect something really unique and intense. None of these things ring true with the finished product. Not that the Witch is bad in any way. It just doesn't seem to bring anything new to the table. We've seen films about this subject matter executed way more impressively. The film never seems to commit to the type of film it wants to be. It starts out in a more ambiguous tone leaving the horror more to the imagination and wondering if anything supernatural is actually going on. But as the film moves towards it's expected finale the supernatural side of things increases and not really in a believable way. The movie isn't really scary but it does have some inspired moments and a lot more with the promise of something really disturbing that never follows through. The performances are pretty solid across the board except for Thomasin portrayed by Joy. She's not bad it just seems a bit forced and performey. And that's really how most of the movie feels. More theatrical and not as genuine as it should be. In the end the film is impressive especially from a first time writer/director. I believe moving forward he will be able to be more confident in his execution. It all culminates to a somewhat silly disappointing finale. Unfortunately the film is never as horrific as it thinks it is and the proceedings are never as immersive or effective as you want them to be. The Witch is ultimately a forgettable but decent entry to the genre and one that shows promise for the people involved. ***/5