An instant horror classic. 'The Witch' is meticulously crafted and gets under your skin

Rating: 10/10 (29 April 2019)

'The Witch' is a film that stays with you. Upon first viewing I was a little bit underwhelmed by it but I must say it got under my skin and I kept thinking about it's creepy imagery. I think we are living in a very good time for horror films and 'The Witch' deserves to be heralded as a key piece in this horror renaissance. It's success stems from it's consciously constructed leisurely pace. The entire film is grey and overwhelming. The big scares don't come as jump scares per say but rather they unfold, ( a great example of this is when the boy Caleb meets his fate in the woods)
It's a thematically interesting movie too. Our lead character Thomasin endures abuse and disbelief from her family when things go slowly awry. She is an innocent likable character who is believed to be evil because of her becoming a woman. The religious commentary is strong too. One gets the feeling that the sense of doom is more palpably a result of the puritan views than the witches lying in the forest. The ending is spectacular and unsettling. You almost have feel catharsis when you see Thomasin give herself to Black Phillip.
Highly recommended