Review of The Blair Witch Project (1999) by Callum H — 01 Nov 2014

The film requires no special effects; no computer generated imagery, just your imagination. The Blair Witch Project hinges on the idea that the human imagination can often conjure up the most intensely horrifying imagery possible, and so what unravels is a film which identifies your primary concerns and fears and targets them relentlessly. It's a relatively short watch, made ever-the-more potent by strong performances from Heather Donahue, Michael C. Williams and Joshua Leonard, all of whom are entirely engrossed in the film they are shooting.

It's immensely simplistic the plot, but that may be what makes it all the more effective; it doesn't require subplots, nor anything completely irrelevant from the current situation. It is entirely centred around the characters, their immediate plights and their conflictions, all of which relate to the present circumstances they are within. Under-appreciated by modern audiences, perhaps due to the over-saturation of blatant copies attempted after its initial release, The Blair Witch Project is harrowing to young and old, and it doesn't require anything too fancy or expensive to do it. It's simply brilliant writing, brilliant direction, brilliant performances, and brilliant scares.