Don't Expect Jump Scares, Expect Real Scares

Rating: 8/10 (22 February 2016)

I am very hesitant to go see horror films in the theaters because most of the time they only provide the cheap thrills of jump scares and do not really have any actual "horror" to them and I always leave the theater feeling cheated. I took a gamble with The Witch and boy oh boy I was not disappointed. The combination of the authentic feel of colonial New England, the devout God fearing family, the foreboding woods, the bone chilling musical score, the brief glimpses of the actual witch and chaos she creates, all of it works so perfectly together.
Now I would not recommend this movie to everyone. The tension and horror slowly builds for over an hour until the final act so if you are impatient and want a beginning to end nonstop horror ride then you will be disappointed. The movie starts out quickly with the abduction of the baby Samuel (along with a VERY disturbing scene that shows you the extreme evil the family is facing) but then kind of dials back as the family dismisses his disappearance as an act of a wolf. Even though it is pretty slow in the middle the cinematographic shots and music keep you gripping your armrests throughout the whole movie wondering when the next time something sinister might happen.
I wasn't 100% happy with the ending. It seemed pretty cool and different and might work for some people but it seemed a tad bit gimmicky to me which is a shame since the movie avoided such gimmicks for the ENTIRE movie until the last 5-10 minutes. That being said I don't know how else the movie could have ended but I guess that's why I'm not a screenwriter! Overall I was very pleased with the movie and will add this to my list of annual pre-Halloween movies to watch. A good horror flick will leave you feeling uneasy and replaying scenes in your head for the next few days. It will also leave you sitting in the movie theater thinking "WHAT THE #%&@ DID I JUST WATCH?!" The Witch did all of this for me and I will most likely be heading back to the theater to watch it again!