Review of The Witch (2016) by Brian S — 07 Jul 2016

Sometimes when watching a film there can come a moment when a sense of timelessness potentially creeps in, letting you know you are seeing something special. With writer/director Robert Eggers' 2016 scary mood piece The Witch that sense of timelessness overtakes every frame, creating a contemporary classic.

Like other lasting horror films (1973s The Exorcist and 1980s The Shining for example), Eggers has created a vessel that is on the surface a movie with disturbing, scary stuff in it but underneath all that lies a very human story with themes and ideas that will stay with you long after.

With lasting images and editing that makes one think what a Terrance Malick or Paul Thomas Anderson horror film would feel like, Eggers has a keen visual eye and great attention to detail (the costume and set design is exceptional) that instantly elevates the material.

Although Eggers falls into the cliché compulsion of cheap jump scares from time to time, it never truly hurts the experience and the commitment from his small cast reward him in dividends (especially Harvey Scrimshaw, who completely steals a very difficult scene to pull off for a child actor).

The Witch is not an easy film to watch, it is a slow-burn fable that delves into morality and the repercussions of such but it is an important film that is rewarding, scary and casts a lasting, bewitching effect on all who see it.