Unsettling horror. Smartly creepy!

Rating: 9/10 (27 June 2016)

An English farmer and head of devout Christian family, William (Ralph Ineson), in fear of banishment from the 1630 church, leaves a colonial plantation and begins homesteading a remote plot of land at the edge of the New England wilderness. Wife Katherine (Kate Dickie), slow to complain, fears something evil lives in the nearby woods. Daughter Thomasin (Anay Taylor-Joy) plays peek-a-boo with a little brother that mysteriously disappears. In order to keep a little distance from two younger siblings, she jokingly claims to be a witch. Crops begin to fail, domestic animals become unruly and one of the remaining children seems to be possessed by a malevolent spirit. Paranoia sets in as members of the family truly believe Thomasin is guilty of witchcraft. Their faith has been attacked and will be tested. Why have they been forsaken? Is it evil living among them or something lurking in the woods? This movie could curdle Stephen King's blood. The fluctuation of music is haunting; various scenes will cramp your knuckles and the atmosphere is perfectly creepy. The wordiness adds mystery to the desperation of the characters. Cinematography is eerie. Kudos to director Robert Eggers.
The cast includes: Harvey Scrimshaw, Ellie Grainger, Lucas Dawson, Sarah Stephens and Vivien Moore. Voice of the goat, Black Phillip, provided by Wahab Chaudhry.