Three Great Performances and One Director to Watch For

Rating: 7/10 (20 February 2016)

One of the best aspects about horror movies is their unbridled creativity. Large studios have made it their business to corner the market on large tent-pole blockbusters, goofy comedies and stereotypical biographical dramas. There are only so many ways to make an audience laugh or manipulate them into tears; there are virtually unlimited ways to disturb them. For that reason horror lives largely in the realm of independent cinema where any young person with a dream and a vision can become the next Sam Raimi or Peter Jackson. Robert Eggers, director of The Witch seems to be aiming even higher.
The Witch opens with William (Ineson) and his family leaving a Puritan plantation in New World, New England. Banished from the safety of the plantation, the family builds a humble cottage near the woods and struggle to make an ample harvest for the winter. Katherine (Dickie), William's wife fears death while the children begin to fear something much more nefarious hiding in the woods. This fear is planted when the youngest of the children, the infant Samuel is taken while in the care of the eldest daughter Thomasin (Taylor-Joy). After a series of incidences and misfortunes, the family begins to suspect Thomasin has dabbled in witchcraft.
Robert Eggers drains the film of all of the predictable jump-scares and needing stock characters that populate most horror films, and instead loads his story with elaborate period detail and an overwhelming sense of dread. Each tableau masterfully evokes the stunning compositional techniques of Andrei Tarkovsky and to a lesser extent Carl Theodor Dreyer. His wide shots are alienating and contemplating while his closeups are symmetrical and solemn. Only the editing of Louise Ford and crew hints at a modern sensibility, everything else is remarkably old-school. Most audiences accustomed to the average schlock-horror may find this film far too pensive to endure. Especially given the fact everyone speaks appropriately for the time period.
This is a shame too, because when this slow-boiling fright reaches its climax the pace only adds to the horror and shock. The constrained William and his family become victims of hysteria constantly looking for the grace of God when there is only deceit, hypocrisy, fear and the woods. Every single cast member is uncommonly committed to this film. Every once in a while there comes a film that graces us with one singularly brilliant performance. The Witch rewards us with three stars in the making; Anya Taylor-Joy, Kate Dickie and Harvey Scrimshaw who plays Thomasin's younger brother.
The Witch joins the recent crop of decent horror films that seep into the mind, provide interesting characters and make monsters out of intricate details. The Conjuring (2013), The Babadook (2014), Oculus (2013) and A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night (2014) all build their horror on a foundation of dread and suspense instead of butchery and chaos. This is not to say The Witch isn't bloody; it is. Yet the primary goal here is not to disgust but to disturb in a way that makes you leave the theater with an unnerving shiver. If you're feeling brave and are incensed by the eerie The Witch will certainly leave a strong impression.