A thoughtful and subtle horror film.

Rating: Null/10 (25 February 2018)

Puritanism and witchcraft is a topic that I have found haunting for years. Maybe it's the ancient time period and troubling subject matter that makes it so terrifying, or perhaps its relationship with Satanism. Robert Eggers' "The Witch" isn't the kind of horror film that necessarily scares you while viewing the film, but haunts you and sticks in your kind. It's a subtle bunch of scares that doesn't have pop-ups and gore, but a subject matter that's deeply unnerving. The family haunted by a witch in ancient New England is cast perfectly, each actor giving brilliant performances. This is a truly fresh independent horror film with more thought and cinematic vision than almost any horror film ever made. What makes "The Witch" so special is that it focuses on people, not a plot. It uses the family as a way of showing the oppressive nature of ancient Christianity and how religion and witchcraft causes people to change. It's the humanity of the film that scares you. And make the creepy goat has something to do with it. "The Witch" is truly terrifying and beautifully made. Thesoul-piercing score and a shocking ending are what stick in my mind the most, and I can only hope Robert Eggers sticks with the horror genre in the future.