Excellent but Slightly Misunderstood Film

Rating: 10/10 (27 December 2019)

The title of this film is The VVitch. Should the film be scary? Yes. Is this film scary? Yes. Are the audiences of today willing to invest some effort into understanding a film that isn't just another rehashing of "She's All That"? Doubtful.
*SLIGHT SPOILERS*
These are Puritans. The tone and language is from the 1600s. They escaped Europe, then exiled from their plantation when the father disagreed with its evolving religious beliefs, they pressed on. Actions have consequences. Being isolated has it's merits but again, it has drawbacks and consequences. This film captures the horror of the 1600s (including internal family affairs), religious differences and of course witchery. Brilliantly directed, shot and acted. The setting drips with the thoughts, prayers and ultimate damnation of this family as we the viewers never lose the vague yet acute energy of opportunistic "VVitch" in the forest. The colors are pale if not washed out. The VVitch herself is not shown often but when it comes time to deliver the goods.. this film does. The Devil, or in this case, the VVitch is in the little details. A film that was researched for five years to adhere to colonists like these in New England.. in around the 1630s. The wardrobe, the accents, the speech patterns and language. In many cases the last was lifted from court records and journals of the time.
VVitch it for the story, performances, the ominous score, and "Black Phillip". VVitch it for the playful period dialogue among the family (mostly between the children) VVitch it for "Thomasin" crying wolf leading to the unintended proverbial... Witch it for The VVitch, the rabbit and the goat.. who all happen to be creepy. Witch it for the perfect ending and think about the people, the setting the atmosphere, the misunderstandings and circumstances that they had to endure. All of VVitch culminated in Thomasin's decision. Essential viewing.