A wicked masterpiece

Rating: 10/10 (20 February 2016)

"The Witch" is undoubtedly one of the most skillfully made horror movies I've ever had the privilege of seeing. This movie excels on multiple levels: the performances, the cinematography, the score, art direction, production design - and above all - its unmatched uniqueness. I'm fully confident that this movie will be remembered for quite some time.
Something so horrifying occurs during the first five minutes that we are 100% invested for the rest of the movie. We have seen this in the trailer: a young woman is playing peek-a-boo with her baby brother in an open field. Suddenly, the baby is snatched up by an invisible witch and taken deep into the woods. For the record, this movie does not attempt to leave the baby's fate up to question; we see everything. This is an incredibly bold move to make in the first five minutes, and it's frightening as hell.
This is not a movie that relies on jump-scares or gore. Rather, it's a perfectly paced slow-burner. Through flawless directing, we are completely aware of how serious of a role religion played for people of this time period. This allows us to understand their overwhelming fear of witchcraft and evil. It wasn't a superstition to them, it was a reality. What makes this film so exceptional is that we are able to feel that fear for ourselves. We sympathize so much with the family on screen that it breaks our hearts to see them afflicted with so much fear. It feels like we are witnessing an incredibly convincing nightmare from 1630s New England.
From start to finish, we are presented with so much vivid historical detail, that it's hard to look away from. The dialogue, the costume design, and the historical accuracy make the film all the more realistic. It legitimately feels like we are seeing the 1630s in-the-flesh; not one detail is missing.
I highly recommend this movie - not just to horror fans, but to film-lovers everywhere. The sheer level of focus makes it unlike any other horror movie. The performances are so convincing that we see actual fear in the characters' eyes. Nothing looks fake. The score is eerie and deeply unsettling. The cinematography is hauntingly flawless.
"The Witch" is never difficult to take seriously. It is all at once a perfect historical film, a heart-breaking drama, and - above all - a blood-curdling horror film.