A solid horror movie (without jump scares!)

Rating: 7/10 (1 May 2016)

The Witch is one of those rare horror films that pop up every few years, which are genuinely well-crafted pieces of work. One illustration of this is that it does not rely on jump scares like most horror films. Instead it relies on an increasing sense of dread to create its horror, combined with strange and unsettling imagery.
The film looks great. The colours are dull, and the New England forest setting is bleak and desolate. Perfect for a horror film set in the 15th century. The film's sound is also a standout, in particular the music. I don't know what the composition of instruments was, but it fitted the film perfectly. (One thing I found annoying however, was the dialogue, which in parts was difficult to understand.)
Unfortunately the story lets The Witch down. Even though I didn't watch the trailer or know much about the film, I was unsurprised by what occurred in the film, from about 1/3 into it. I find predictable stories, especially in horror films, boring to watch. Fortunately the execution of the story in The Witch is great, but it doesn't quite mitigate this problem.
In terms of casting, I think the stand-out here is Harvey Scrimshaw, who plays a young boy called Caleb. He has several key scenes and he nails every one of them. The other is Ralph Ineson as William, who seems a shoe-in for a Game of Thrones role at some point.
Overall, I recommend this to any horror film fan -- you will definitely enjoy it.