family conflicts sway around the darkest corners of the eerie Puritan psyche.

Rating: 10/10 (21 August 2016)

Slaughter, repressed sexuality, scarcity and family conflicts sway around the darkest corners of the eerie Puritan psyche.The Witch strikingly approaches the genre with its psychological horror and theatrical touch that stands out from the current flood of threadbare horror flicks.
The Puritans were a group of English Reformed Protestants in the 16th and 17th centuries who sought to "purify" the Church of England from all Roman Catholic practices, maintaining that the Church of England was only partially reformed. The British newcomers plundered and enslaved Native-American tribes from the North-easterly region. Their religious strictness led them to hold a series of trials that deliberately condemned innocents lives, a bleak period of the American history known as The Salem Witch Trials.
The film puts the viewer in the middle of a trial with a vague background: A clash of religious beliefs between the extreme austere father, William, against stern community leaders. Ostracised from the village, the scraggy farmer is compelled to take his dispirited family to homestead nearby wilderness, on the back of beyond. The forest adds up a claustrophobic sense to the scenery that almost engulfs the ramshackle dwelling and its residents who will gradually descent into hysteria and madness.
The intricate art of shocking audiences does not solely rely on paranormal creatures but on the set-up of the unknown. American film director, Robert Eggers, seems to majestically grasp the formula with ease by combining bleak Christian fanaticism with a grim distorted reality at full-bore .
Slaughter, repressed sexuality, dearth and family conflicts sway around the darkest corners of the eerie Puritan psyche. The denial of religious dogmas coupled with family conflicts takes the experience over plot, imbuing viewers with uneasiness and sheer dread. The film doesn't limit itself to delivering visceral bits, which undeniably build up dreadful peaks, but are far away from playing a key role. Furthermore, the use of negative space and the unsettling soundtrack devoid of clichÃ©-ridden rising crescendos grippingly evokes a disquieting atmosphere, in which a cascading series of ghastly events unfold.
The blurred line between reality and wicked fantasy are masterfully drawn in order to not only frighten audiences with abhorrent takes, but also outlines aspects beyond witchcraft and bigotry: The retrograde narrow-mindedness that ruled over Christian farming communities, which are categorised for its stark repression on any form of self-expression. Thomasin, the eldest daughter, is the embodiment of the paradigm-breaking spirit that opposes preconceived ideas, which once posed as unquestionable truths.
The end falls short in causing any unexpected reactions, however, it is a satisfactory cathartic conclusion of a flawless piece of art that is The Witch. Unfortunately, for its verbose framework, the film might dismay audiences that are yearning for unpredictable jumpscares, but most certainly, will enthral those who are in urge to plunge into an unique sombre experience.