Originally published and edited from my All Things MJ Cross Blogger on 3/1/2016.
It’s critically acclaimed, and according to Stephen King, it scared the shit outta him. So as a horror movie fan, I had to go see what the fuss was all about.
A devoutly Puritan family has been ousted from the safety of their village. With nothing but their faith and each other, they attempt to rebuild near the woods, but the disappearance of their youngest and lack of food begins a spiral toward desperation, questions of faith, and easy prey for supernatural forces. It’s Amityville Horror set in 1600s.
What I liked: The actors are superb. Nearly everyone shines in their role. This is as authentic a time period piece that I’ve ever saw. The focus on the family dynamics of the time period set against the backdrop of the Salem Witch trails is the type of character driven stuff i love to read (and write about). It’s hard to believe that this is a directorial debut.
Everything is there to make this a instant classic: The M Night Shyamalan feel of piercing shrills followed by silence, the human drama underneath the supernatural, and claustrophobic feel that something is out to destroy this family. This isn’t just a New England folk tale. It feels cautionary. It could be your family that’s ostracized. And in that isolation, the temptation of our sins and obsessions open us to corruption. Go to any isolated part of the our societies and you’ll know what I mean.
What I didn’t like: While definitely this film could stand with the likes of other classics in the horror genre, it’s neither psychologically scary, gory or particularly frightening. The Witch does a good job at stirring drama but it doesn’t provide the jumps needed to sustain an average movie goer. Case in point: while near what could be described as the climax in the film, a snore punctuates the auditorium. This wasn’t in jest. Someone literally fell asleep watching this.
If this were a novel, this story would achieve the sense of dark foreboding it aimed at creating. But on the silver screen, I can see why others would find this to be just a bore.
While The Witch is certainly bound to split viewers, there’s no denying it has a mystically pull. I gave it 3.5 stars out of 5. I wanted more, but I didn’t hate myself for paying for me and my date. The Witch is currently available for rent on most streaming platforms.
If you’re looking for a thriller to read this season, check out my novella, A Still Small Voice, available on Amazon Kindle.
Stay Ghoulish.