The Witch - Thought-provoking horror
When I read that audiences were not enamored with Robert Eggers’ directorial debut The Witch I reflected on the state of horror cinema today. We are currently experiencing the beginning of a horror movie renaissance. Movies like The Babadook, It Follows, The Witch and others have come together to revitalize the genre. Yet, people ignore the emotional impact of these great horror films by reducing them to what they expect from modern day horror films, which can often be some of the laziest filmmaking in the industry right now.
A strong religious family in 17th century New England moves out to the country when the town officials disagree with their beliefs. Things take a turn for the worst when the child of the family mysteriously vanishes under the watch of the eldest daughter. The family begins to suspect witchcraft and take extremely paranoid measures in an attempt to protect themselves and stick close to their faith in God.
Movies like The Witch need to be praised. They bring back the roots of good horror movies, while also treading new ground to expand the abilities of the genre. The Witch should be praised for how frightening it is, which is grossly different then what makes other, more conventional horror films so scary. That’s why I think this movie doesn’t sit well with audiences. It doesn’t give that adrenaline catharsis that other horror movies do. Is this movie going to throw scares at you every ten minutes? Absolutely not. It’s pacing is deliberately slow, working you into a corner until you don’t know what to expect next. The pacing can become tedious, but it is hard to criticize that because it is necessary for the last half to be as frightening as it is. The first half has some scary scenes, but they don’t compare to the onslaught of terrifying imagery in the latter half of the film.
All this is thanks to the brilliant performances from the cast. Anya Taylor-Joy’s performance as Thomasin is riveting, delivering a deeply emotional character who remains strong as her world and family crumbles around her. She tries to help everyone keep their composure and remains steadfast in her faith. She’s a very likeable protagonist whose stand against adversity at such a young age makes her all the more enjoyable. Ralph Ineson’s deep accented voice is perfect for the character of William, the father, whose actions over the film become increasingly drastic. His descent is all the more painful due to the fact that his devotion to his faith and the love of his family causes him to make difficult decisions that culminate in terrifying paranoia.
This film might disappoint audiences who go in expecting something else. The scares in The Witch do not come from the eponymous monster terrorizing the family. The actions of the witch lead the family on a path of self-destruction. A path caused by their paranoia, their devotion to faith and hatred of evil. Does the presence of the witch make for really terrifying and supernatural imagery, yes. This movie isn’t about that though, it is about desperation and a loving family tearing themselves apart due to their collective fear. That is why this movie is so terrifying, not because there are jump scares every two or three minutes, but because it is a haunting case study into the psyche of a humble and loving family.
Until more movies like The Witch force people to be reminded of what good horror cinema is then we will be stuck with lackluster horror movies like The Purge, Annabelle, and, lord have mercy, Ouija. I predict that The Witch will be initially disliked by audiences before it becomes a film that is looked back on fondly as a film that was part of a reawakening of a genre that has been littered by absolute trash for the last few years.