As good as Night of the Living Dead

Rating: 9/10 (18 July 1999)

Some folks who I saw this film with left disappointed. It is not your typical horror film. There are no cheap scares or really jump out of your seats moments. Gore is almost totally nonexistent. Instead the movie is almost two stories. First, the story during the day about three college students who are lost in the woods and the dynamics as they slowly disintegrate as a group and as individuals. Second, the story at night where something is sitting just beyond the range of their cameras and lights hunting them. Blair Witch, like Night of the Living Dead, focuses more on the group dynamics than on the horror that lurks outside. It isn't clear which is more frightening- the unseen witch or the slow descent to madness of the individuals. The first person point of view created by viewing the "documentary" footage really puts you into the setting and leaves you straining to see what lies in the dark just like the characters do in the film. It is a startling vision and one very much worth watching if you are looking for horror along the lines of Night of the Living Dead, Psycho, or The Thing- horror that is more psychological than visual.