The Witch - movie review
The Witch
Plot: A family in 1630s New England is torn apart by the forces of witchcraft, black magic and possession.
Cast: Anya Taylor-Joy, Ralph Ineson, Kate Dickie
Director: Robert Eggers
Rating: 15
Runtime: 1hr 32 mins
Release Date: Friday 11th March 2016
Unsettling and unnerving. Those are the two words that best describe The Witch. For a small independent film that has zero popular actors and a tiny budget, The Witch has had a surprising amount of publicity. It isn't the film that everyone is talking about right now, but it certainly has garnered a fair bit of fame. Containing mostly unknown actors, a first-time director and writer and a budget of only $1 million, The Witch is a perfect example of how horror films should be done. I can't quite remember seeing a film that terrified me as much as this one.
The Witch doesn't rely upon big names to sell this film. In fact, apart from the two adult actors, the rest of the cast are sharing their feature film debut. As the father of this chaotic family is Ralph Ineson. I'd hadn't seen him in anything major before with the only recognisable appearances including Kingsman: The Secret Service and a voiceover for various television adverts. But in The Witch, Ineson give a breakthrough performance that could potentially catapult him into stardom. His deep and gruff voice suits the personality of his character but it never distracted me from the action. I never found myself disliking the unique voice that Ineson possesses. If you aren't quite sure what I'm discussing, then I encourage you to listen to him in a regular interview to understand that his voice is not an act. Ineson manages to balance the family drama and horror elements of the film outstandingly well making in a captivating watch. As his wife, is Kate Dickie whom I only recognise from a brief role in Game Of Thrones. I was concerned in the first act that Dickie wouldn't have much to do as her character isn't given the opportunity to shine in the first half. Little did I know that Eggers was saving her for the second act and finale to just explode and deliver what I had been expecting. From that point onwards I was enthralled by Dickie as we watch her family crumble into ruins and she attempts to pick up the pieces. Some may say that she is a weak and underdeveloped character and I understand their opinion, but in one scene particular, I suddenly realised what it was that Dickie's character truly contributed to the progression of the story. As for the children of the piece, they are remarkable. For all of them to be novice actors, their debuts into film are simply incredible. The two much younger actors portraying the youngest children aren't quite to standard of the other actors around them, but for children around the age of 6 or 7, both of them are stupendous. But it was Anya Taylor-Joy as the daughter and Harvey Scrimshaw as the son, that give breakout performances that shocked me as to what child actors could achieve. Scrimshaw got on my nerves for most of the film until one possession sequence. At that point, I completely forgave him for the previous performance because he is haunting during that scene. I'll speak about that scene a little later on, but his performance within that scene contributed to my overall discomfort during the film. Scrimshaw falls just short of giving the best performance as that title belongs to Anya Taylor-Joy. She is such a revelation in this film delivering a complex performance that most actors would usually struggle with. Her character has endless layers of depth and Taylor-Joy simply blew me away with how good she was. She puts other actors that usually phone it in during common horror films to shame as she proves how to present a character in a terrifying situation with heart and horror all blended together.
The most astounding detail that all of the actors featured in The Witch share is their ability to use the complexity of the script to their advantage. One thing that you must understand before watching The Witch, is that it is most definitely not your conventional horror film. Never are there any jumpscares. The story is unlike anything a horror film has attempted before and that works in its favour spectacularly. Firstly, the script itself and the dialogue given by the actors are worded as if it was in 'Ye Olde' English times. I would've thought that not only could the young actors struggle in delivering these elaborate lines, but it may possibly hinder any effect upon me as a viewer as I may find it difficult to understand the flow of story. And I can wholeheartedly and safely reveal, that this was not a problem. The language and themes presented in the story are appropriate for the time setting but the actors and directors make it accessible for all as long as you pay close attention. What is likely to put many off of The Witch is its pace. Adding to the unconventional nature of the movie, it moves along at quite a slow pace. It isn't until the third act that it begins to pick up a little waking up anyone who may have not been able to cope with the gradual pacing. This was not a problem for me though as I was hooked from the opening ten minutes alone. Instead of the director throwing everything and the kitchen sink at the audience like many horror films do recently, Eggers opts for a more careful approach and this film really does require your full attention. There are little nuances and hints given throughout that if you miss, could change your overall perspective on the film. But how was the horror aspect? It seems like a clichéd thing to say, but I don't get scared during films easily. For a movie to truly terrify me, it needs to make me feel uncomfortable and then struggle with the rest of my day. I love a film to mess with my mind. The Witch didn't mess with my mind. It ruined my mind. From the final scene, I was left reeling and shivering. It wasn't even cold but it scared me that much. I loved how simply Eggers was able to incorporate psychological horror into this as The Witch could have resulted in another generic possession film. Yes, the possession sequence was a standout scary moment but that happens quite early in the film. There are countless moments where the movie crawled under my skin making me shift uncomfortably in my seat. Eggers deals with real and possible themes that could logistically happen in today's time period. I simply cannot stress the level of terror The Witch left me with. Maybe after a second viewing (which I have no quarrels with), this could be the scariest film I have ever seen. This isn't to say that this film will scare everyone. Many will lose focus due to the pacing and some will likely struggle with the complex dialogue, but if you can cope with these techniques, then I predict that The Witch will probably terrify you as much as it did me.
If it wasn't the sinister themes that The Witch presents that get you scared, the setting and score will be sure to. A horror film is only as good as its score and the work by Mark Korven adds to the atmosphere created. It is very jarring and very loud. It's beautiful to hear and painful at the same time. With a mixture of disturbing orchestral pieces and static noises that exemplify the tension, Korven can add himself to the list of prolific horror composers. The Witch is also stunningly shot. With a practical set and mostly shot in natural light, The Witch feels real. I got the horrible sense that I was prying into a menacing family dispute making me feel even more uncomfortable than the regular horror elements.
Horror films are usually hit or miss for me. Because I'm not all that easily scared, I wasn't expecting The Witch to haunt me as much as it did. It feels real and that terrifies me even more. The acting is phenomenal from the entirety of the cast and I am so glad to see an original horror film on show and it be as good as I wanted it to be. May all the upcoming horror directors learn a lesson from Eggers because he has delivered one of the best films of the year so far.
My Verdict: 10/10
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