Terrifying

Rating: 9/10 (24 July 2007)

The horror genre is one that has long been prone to extremes without much real impact. From the excessive gory schlock of the 70's and 80's to the overused CGI effects of today and even to the new and disturbing "torture porn" sub-genre, it is a type of movie that has historically relied on quantity over quality.
The Blair Witch Project defies every bad clichÃ© of the genre and as such is one of the few genuinely, viscerally frightening films. It relies less on its visuals than on the lack of visuals. The filmmakers understand and tap into the most primal of human fears - that of the unknown.
The film begins by setting up the fictional local folklore of the Blair Witch by 'interviewing' residents of the town. With their stories now in the minds of the characters (and the viewers) the films proceeds into the woods. The sense of isolation is tangible. The film is shot with hand-held cameras, either devoid of color or else in dreary, bleached out colors, adding to the atmosphere.
Isolated in the woods, seemingly simple things become terrifying. If you can suspend disbelief you will never be more frightened of a pile of rocks or stick figures hung in trees or strange sounds in the dark. The perspective is often in the first-person, allowing the audience to identify with the characters. Your senses become sharpened with fright as your eyes and ears strain to catch some fleeting glimpse of the ghoul that is haunting those woods.
The Blair Witch Project is perhaps the most profitable movie ever made and is a prime example of what can be done by skilled filmmakers who just keep it simple. 9/10