The best horror movie in ages.

Rating: Null/10 (1 August 1999)

"The Blair Witch Project" is a horror movie with no big name actors, no special effects, and no big budget. And yet, it is better than any recent horror movie I have seen. The horror is all psychological, relying on our own natural sense of fear.
Shot roughly on a Super 8 portable and a portable video camera, it is about three student film makers who travel into the Maryland woods where it is reputed to be haunted. The small town near the woods has a troubled past, and the locals tell tales of the "Blair Witch", which is a local myth and the subject of a documentary. As they shoot the documentary, they become hopelessly lost, unprepared, and turning on each other as their situation becomes worse. To make matters worse, they discover there really is something in the woods.
Because of the rough nature of the film, it is all the more realistic. You feel like you are out there with them, and the feeling of hopelessness rubs off on the audience. And since you are discovering things as they do, the horror is all the more real. As a movie, it is very unsettling and one that is sure to leave a lasting impression. Skillfully directed, and a premise that puts most horror movies to shame. I can safely say that I have never seen a movie like this one. One of the year's best.
Funny, but in a summer riddled with big budget action movies and garbage horror movies like "Lake Placid" and "The Haunting", a low budget indie film like "The Blair Witch Project" stands out as the best.