A well made art-house horror film, that wont be relished by fans of escapist cinema.

Rating: 7/10 (19 February 2016)

Let me state on the onset that The Witch carries a beware tag, for most people going into this film excepting a full blown horror film, that offers cheap thrills like the regular released Hollywood horror films ex. Saw or Paranormal Activity you will be disappointed.The Witch offers more of an art-house film with the films setting being horrorish. The Witch is a niche film made for people who relish artistic cinema, its not really made for the regular cinema going audience who indulge in escapist cinema. The film has certain milieu, that caught my attention right away, I was sucked into 1600's New England. The clothing, the way the people talked with heavy accents, the houses made of wood/hay, the farms filled with animals, everything was genuine and authentic of those times. The films attention to detail was something to marvel at, the cinematography was impeccable, it helped create the eerie dark feeling the film had from the first frame. But the film has its flaws but more on that later.
Story wise in the 16th century, the deeply religious William leaves a New England plantation alongside his family (wife Katherine, daughter Thomasin, son Caleb, and twins Mercy and Jonas) due to a disagreement of beliefs. After a day's travel, the family finds a spot of land to start their new life. Several months later, the family has built a house and farm on the land and Katherine has given birth to her fifth child, Samuel. Thomasin looks after the infant Samuel one day but, while Thomasin is playing peek-a-boo with him, Samuel is abducted by a witch who lives in the surrounding forest. What happens next forms the crux of the film.
Acting wise the cast was full of newcomers/ newer(unknown actors) actors who performed exceeding well. Anya-Taylor Joy has a cute innocence about her which she conveys well on screen, but when the dust settles especially in the climax/pre climax she turns too the dark side and shows her devilish side well. Ralph Ineson shows a helpless side of himself as a father stuck between his family and religion, he is great. Katie Dickie is schizophrenic on screen as the mother who cant cope with the loss of her child and turns semi-crazy. The younger kids have more of a comical role, and provide some nice light moments.
The most important part of The Witch is the films whole aura, which is pitch perfect. Like I stated before the 1600s is perfectly depicted. The whole family being extremely religious is spot on for those times. The films director Robert Eggers makes sure that the audience has been encapsulated back in time. With the extraordinary camera-work the whole dark eerie, unsettling theme is fleshed out well. I must say I have never really seen a horror film like The Witch before, were most of horror comes through the silences, and from a artistic landscape, its a film that makes the mind think . There is no gimmicky fake cheap thrills, there is some gore, but its rather justified, and not overdone. The music creates a big impact on the film, and creates a tension filled screen. This film is more about creating a dark atmosphere, rather than trying to scare the audience. Which can be a bad thing or a good thing, here its a mix both. The films pace is very sluggish and a 1hr 30 min films feels more like 2hr + plus film. The Witch sometimes is to art-house for my liking, and more thrills were needed to keep the audience engaged, as I could see audience members getting tireless while watching this film. Finally The Witch is at its best in the films last 30 min when all hell breaks loose , and the scene when the brother has a exorcism of sorts, and when the sister heads to jungle with a black goat are the films highlight.
Overall as I could gauge from the audience I was watching The Witch with, this film is not everyones cup of tea. The Witch is for more of a niche audience, who enjoy all types of cinema, and hone films as a artistic form, more than just escapist entertainment. Its a Sundance winner, and I can see why, there's a lot to love here, and I throughly enjoyed myself, but I feel bad for the audience going in excepting a full blown horror film, the film is misleading. Watch at your on caution you have been warned.
3.5/5* or 7/10