Not so much horror but more of a historical suspense thriller, The Witch is refreshingly plot heavy with a complex build of characters and delightful lack of CGI. As the film begins, we witness a Puritan family being exiled from the village where they lived. The find a clearing with good soil and see it as a blessing from God so they establish a humble farm to carry out their days. Paradise is short lived when a witch from the woods steals away with their infant child while under the care of their eldest daughter. Suspicions arise and there is talk of the devil being afoot.
The film focuses on the Puritan beliefs and irrational fears of the times. The breakdown of the family unit and betrayal is brilliantly done. The loss of the infant is compounded by the very real threat of not having enough crop yield to sustain them through the winter adding a measure of desperation to an already tragic situation. I found the story to be engaging and enjoyed the complexity as the tension slowly build to a climactic ending. Perhaps not the film for everyone especially the loudly snoring gentleman seated behind us. If you enjoy well acted, plot heavy, complex character type films I recommend The Witch. If you are seeking a face paced with lots of CGI scares this is not for you.
Black Philip approves.
3 comments:
All right, a horror movie review! Nice breakdown, Cat!
Yay, a horror review outside of Horrorthon! Terrific review! I plan on seeing this so I'm happy the hype is true.
Sounds great, Catfreeek! So nice to see an off-season review.
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