An astounding first film

Rating: 9/10 (22 October 2019)

Looking back, The Witch seems to be at the forefront, if not the genesis of the current "horror film as serious film" resurgence we've been seeing in recent years (Hereditary, the Suspiria remake, etc.). One of the standouts from indie film darling A24 and the debut feature of Robert Eggers, this is ostensibly a classic horror story on the surface. It speaks to how few risks more mainstream movies in the genre are ever willing to take, and where they might go if they did (the answer: further, but definitely not as far as this). The Witch excels in all facets. The performances are pitch perfect, unnerving and believable. The cinematography is top-notch, using the natural light of a remote Canadian location to mimic the bleak New England we see on screen. Eggers is a perfectionist and it shows. Every shot and every piece of dialogue has been considered deeply. An astounding first film.