The Witch (2016)

[TheMovieman]

Didn't care very much save for some good atmosphere and a solid performance from Anyay Taylor-Joy otherwise I found a few scenes to be actually unintentionally funny. Honestly, it was a bit of a chore to sit through and will not revisit at all...

 

**/*****, (C-, 4.0/10, 1.75/4)

[Blankments]

Calling The Witch a horror movie feels likes a slight misnomer. While the film does include supernatural elements often associated with the genre, it feels more like a period family drama - and that's a good thing. Evil tears this family apart but they were already on their way to destruction even before the devil disrupted them. Eggers shoots the whole movie to chilling effect and the use of archaic language adds a lot to the atmosphere. The last five minutes are an unnecessary epilogue to make it fit the horror genre more but otherwise the script is constantly engaging. The score is excellent and the two central performances delivered by Taylor-Joy and Ineson are captivating. The Witch is another spectacular indie horror film, although it's at its best when it ignores the latter of those designations. B+

[4815162342]

I thought it was very good until the final 10 minutes. I did not buy Thomasin's sudden character shift to join the witch covenant after they/Black Phillip essentially destroyed everything she cared about.