This is why Witches were Scary

Rating: 8/10 (18 January 2017)

Modern films such as Kiki's Delivery Service or any film in the Harry Potter franchise take the idea of a witch and make them characters that the majority of people will like. Strong, intelligent, and they don't usually try to cause harm to others. This movie? It reminds/teaches us that witches can be freaking scary.
This movie seriously feels like we're being told a story around a campfire in the best possible way. This must be what people during the Salem Witch Trials believed happened on a regular basis. It feels like a legend (or a legal account depending on where you are in history) being told to warn sinners about what could happen if you let the devil into your life. The movie even outright says it in its alternate title, The VVitch: A New England Folk-Tale. If you go into the movie with that kind of mindset, more of the elements will start to make sense.
This movie would have been rated higher if I could just understand the entire script! I luckily was able to piece most of the story together through the dialogue I could understand (props to Anya Taylor-Joy and Kate Dickie) but the father and the son were very hard to understand through certain parts of the film. It's hard for me to be fully immersed if I have to go back in my head and think of what they could have possibly said.
I hope more people see this film. Seeing the discrepancy between critics and audiences sadden me because this was really well-made. It's not perfect by any stretch of the imagination, with diction being lost to historical accuracy (i think) and shots that lasted a little too long coming to mind, this movie deserves (most of) the credit it is given.