Thrilling, absorbing, and sh*t scary!

Rating: 8/10 (8 October 2007)

With no blood and gore, no disgustingly disturbing CGI monsters, and no shocking moments to 'jump off your seat' the average horror film watcher would flick this film to the side without a second glance. However, so fresh and new was the way in which The Blair Witch was shot, and so convincingly acted by the three characters, that The Blair Witch Project makes a very chilling and disturbing horror.
There is no way that this film would have been as successful as it was without its cunning yet controversial promotion campaign. Cinemas filled on the opening week, full of audiences expecting to see what they thought was real footage, found a year after the three main characters had disappeared in the woods down in Burkettsville, Maryland.
The way in which The Blair Witch was shot, no matter what critics say, only added to the horrific experience. Even though I knew this was fake footage the hand-held camera dragged me right into the three characters bleak position, leaving me to ponder what I would do if in their shoes. The use of the two cameras, with only one camera having sound, proved very effective. In the last scene (without giving anything away) the use of one camera seeing the action while the other camera picks up the sound of the same action creates an even more weird, confusing and sickening noise.
The noises heard in the nights sound so unfamiliar that it is hard to connect them with anything comforting, while the scene where the tent is pummelled by 'something' while Heather screams "What the F**k is that!?" leave your heart thudding and your brain working double time in an attempt to make out what is going on.
The most impressive component of this film is the way the audience are forced to use their own imagination. Never before in a horror has the whole film been based around the unknown, leaving the audience to create their own image of what the 'hunter/hunters' may be. This image created in the audiences head can be much more horrific than any CGI monster.
As you can already tell I thoroughly enjoyed this film, finding it hard to pull my eyes away, dreading what was to come as each new night bought a new horror. I would suggest this film to anyone, as long as you don't mind losing your ability to spend a night camping in the woods.