Not your typical everyday horror movie

Rating: 9/10 (29 June 2019)

The Witch is a very different type of horror. I'm saying this now, NOT EVERYONE WILL LIKE THIS FILM! In a world where we're used to films that rely heavily on jumpscares, The Witch goes on a more psychological route where it doesn't use any of the modern-day horror tricks like loud noises or jumpscares. This is what makes it very conflicting for the audience. For me, I found this technique highly effective.
As a huge fan of the horror genre, I haven't seen a horror film which is so capable and insanely crafted like The Witch. This is the writer-director Robert Eggers' first feature film and I could tell he has a lot of talent. Each and every shot is handled so meticulously that I'm surprised that this is Eggers' first movie. Eggers really cares about this project. From the colour scheme, the costumes, the lighting to the atmosphere. All of this became so important to make the audience feel like they're in the 1630s. The attention to detail fully immersed me to this world. The decision to make everyone speak in the Old English language further enhanced the realism and brought you even closer to the characters and atmosphere.
The acting by everyone involved was perfect. The way everyone spoke and emoted felt so real and so believable. Each performance was strong and felt like this was a real family. This aided me into believing all the events that take place over these 90 minutes. The script is thought-provoking and requires the audience's full attention to understand what's happening. A core element in a horror movie is the music. The Witch has such an uneasy and terrifying background score that adds to the atmosphere.
I loved the way the makers portrayed the Witch in this film. Despite not showing the Witch much, you still sense its presence terrorising the family allowing the film to become more unsettling. The only problem I have with the film is its pacing. I felt it was a bit too slow. However, the film's harrowing atmosphere and characters made this feel like an experience like no other.
As a debut, I have immense praise for Robert Eggers' take on the horror genre and look forward to his future projects. As mentioned before, The Witch isn't for everyone. This movie is made for horror and film lovers who appreciate the craft that goes into creating a movie as well as understand what true horror is.