Review of The Witch (2016) by Derek M — 15 May 2017

Not bad, The Witch does a couple of things right and a couple of misteps imo.

The movie is well paced and well shot. You are instantly put into the time period with the costuming and the old fashioned language. There's a creeping sensation to the atmosphere as things slowly ramp up throughout its short run time amidst the background of cool greys and steady framing.

I was reminded of The Thing, in how there's an emphasis on paranoia and restraint rather than, an over use of jump scares until it's needed at critical points.

The story twist was actually decent, and the acting from all of the actors involved was committed.

The problems of this movie I feel is twofold. First they give way too much away of the actual Witch upfront. This movie would have been much more effective if they kept you guessing whether or not there was in fact a witch (or in this case a coven?). Indeed the second half of the movie emphasizes this. But the almost immediate appearance of a witch doing creepy things at the start of the movie ruins that tension of "Is there a witch? Or is it just paranoia?" and transforms it into, "Oh who's gonna get it next for which sin?". They should make a re-edit that takes out all of the overt Witch scenes imo, it would make for a stronger film.

Second problem is the ending. It should cut when the last one standing is led into the woods. The moment it got to the Witch coven floating in the air via cgi. The movie went from downright unsettling to comical. This is a pure jumping the shark moment that shouldn't have been in there.

The movie works because the less said the better and the layering of implications with character containing fatal personality flaws drives the movie. Then it totally jumps the shark with trying to show too much as if playing to an expectation.

So overall, good but held back from great.