Fear of the Unknown

Rating: 9/10 (31 October 2008)

The Blair Witch Project came out of nowhere for me. I was young when it was released, thus, all of the marketing and hype went over my head. I didn't see this film until long after the buzz had died down, about three or four years ago.
Even then, I knew The Blair Witch was something special. I was still relatively new to horror films, but I knew that nothing had been done quite like this before, and never so effectively.
There are no Hollywood gimmicks and touches here. It's not glamorous, the characters aren't typical teens in Hollywood horror, their existence isn't to pad the body count. We see these three people go from confident and determined documentary makers to the brink of madness. We live through this with them, we are THERE with them in the woods, which is what makes their experiences, and ultimately their fate, that much more terrifying.
I think the fear we all share as humans is not being able to see what is unsettling us. Things always seem much less frightening after you turn the light on, and in the daytime. In the dark, we are at our most vulnerable. We are essentially, blind. Couple that with the fear of being removed from our comfort zone and there you have it; the fear of the unknown.
Someone or something is making those horrible sounds in the woods. Someone, or something left those pile of rocks outside the tent. Someone, or something led them to that house. Someone, or something was hunting them in those woods. But we can't see who or what. We're just like Mike and Heather. Blind.
The severe backlash this film has received, has kept it from reaching it's true place amongst the horror greats, in my opinion. Some people scoff at the idea of The Blair Witch Project being listed as one of the greatest horror films of all time. "The Shining" was panned on its release. Over 25 years later, it's viewed as a classic.
In years to come, I hope people look back at this film. I hope people study (or restudy, as may be the case) what makes it work so well. The Blair Witch Project has cemented its place in independent film-making history. My wish is that someday it receives the true recognition and status it deserves.
We won't see anything like this again, this was catching lightning in a bottle. Those of you who feel that creeping fear in the pit of your stomach as Mike and Heather enter the house, know exactly what I'm talking about. To those of you who don't feel the panic, the helplessness of this situation, the pure FEAR in those woods, I can safely say, it's your loss.