When the title of a film basically tells you what to expect, it’s sometimes hard to be surprised or shocked by the content of a film. This is both an advantage and disadvantage in THE WITCH. Yes, there’s a witch(es) but how they function in the story is different than what you might expect. THE WITCH is less interested in showcasing occult rituals and cackling hags – though a few scenes brilliantly showcase this. It’s more interested in using the fear of a witch to illustrate paranoia and mistrust within a family. Robert Eggers strives for more than just straight-up horror in his directorial debut. Therein lies a minor problem for genre fans. Yes, as the title states, there is a witch(es). You just might be surprised that THE WITCH isn’t necessarily a terrifying tale of she-devils on the prowl. Then again… that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Sometimes fewer shocks can be a pleasant surprise.
William (Ralph Ineson), his wife Katherine (Kate Dickie), his daughter Thomasin (Anya Taylor-Joy), his son Caleb (Harvey Scrimshaw), his twins Mercy and Jonas (Ellie Grainger and Lucas Dawson) and baby Sam, are all banished from New England as the film begins. They start their own farm on the outskirts, but sadly, they fail to produce corn. Even worse, baby Sam is taken one afternoon right from under the nose of Thomasin. The family initially believes a wolf snatched the newborn and took him into the woods. However, fear of a witch in the woods quickly takes hold of the family, which then transforms into Thomasin being accused of signing the devil’s contract.
It’s hard to just say that THE WITCH feels authentic. The efforts put forth to make this film feel accurate is exceptional. From the ragged costumes, to the cobbled together barns, to the language spoken throughout, Eggers goes to great lengths to live up to the subtitle of the film, “A New-England folktale.” So much so that viewers might find it hard to understand the tense conversations between the family. The words are so deeply rooted in old-world phrases that it is often a struggle to decipher exactly what they are saying. Considering film is a visual medium, of course it’s easy to follow the story – it’s a simple enough plot. However, aspects of the theme and deeper meanings may be lost in translation.
Eggers draws stellar performances from his entire cast as he builds a subtle tale of isolation and fear. Each actor develops a fully formed character that is dealing with demons. Eggers is quick to point out that many of these personal fears stem from the Puritan, God-fearing religion that has been ingrained in them. This is especially true of the father figure played by Ralph Ineson. The heavy heart he carries and the responsibility he has to his family weigh considerably on him. Deep wrinkles are etched into his face and his eyes are filled with despair. He delivers each line with a deep guttural groan as he plays a ringleader of sorts to this talented cast.
Kid actors are always hard to cast. Often their inexperience hampers a film and makes it feel like they are acting on camera – not necessarily telling a story. All four children here feel like they were raised during this period. Anya Taylor-Joy carries the largest burden of the bunch. Aside from having the most screentime, she’s given the difficult task to make the audience speculate whether some of her family’s suspicions of witchy behavior are validated.
When THE WITCH conjures up the spooky imagery, it does so with such a pure and classic horror style. Without delving into too many specifics, some of the images seem like old wood carving prints straight out of that one book you weren’t supposed to look at when you were 10 yrs. old. Once again, Eggers gives the hair-raising imagery a look that is rooted in the time period without relying on modern horror cliches. The finale alone delivers sights that will haunt your dreams for a very long time.
THE WITCH drips with dread. What it lacks in scares, it makes up for in genuine fear. It’s the fear of the unknown; the fear of losing your family’s trust; and the fear of living in a world where religious rule is just as terrifying as what’s lurking deep in the woods.
Overall rating: 4 out of 5
THE WITCH opens in theaters February 19
