Robert Egger’s directorial debut film, The Witch, is a refresher to the horror genre which usually relies on predictable jump scares and a weak plot, unlike this one which gives the viewer true, deep horror.

Set in 1600s New England, a large family is banished from their local plantation for an unsaid reason and is forced to live right beside a dark forest and on top of a barren grass field. William, the father, and Katherine, the mother, parent two daughters, Thomasin and Mercy and two sons, Caleb and Jonas. After their baby Samuel is stolen by an unseen force, tension builds between every family member and blame goes around. Throughout the story this family faces multiple obstacles and is constantly pressured by their lack of food and resources.

Almost every actor plays their role very well, which is very rare for horror movies nowadays. Ralph Ineson, who plays William, gives us the good father who is a lover turned into monster by the cruel circumstances he is put through. Kate Dickie, Katherine, is the hateful but protective mother. All the children, especially Anya Taylor-Jay and Harvey Scrimshaw, Thomasin and Caleb, play their roles with great innocence and evil at the same time.

There are many good parts of this movie to make it into the great film it is. Once again, the acting is done very well. Next, the way this movie was made. Instead of making everything silent then a jump scare like most horror movies, hauntingly beautiful music is played through each scene and is perfectly placed to add anticipation and tension. The juxtaposition between the close ups and the long shots and the way the two quickly change from one another keeps your heart racing and leaves you on the edge of your seat at the end of each scene. And finally the use of nature, the hare, the raven, and the black goat. These are all signs of evil and they add the true horror in this movie and what makes it so amazing. The one thing that one might not like in this movie is the disturbing imagery that comes with certain scenes, so one might want to choose wisely if they want to see this movie.

The group of people that would enjoy this movie would be a fearless one. Throughout the film there are many sequences of gore and violence. This movie is rated R for just this reason. It may be a good movie, but it is still disturbing. People who aren’t comfortable with seeing death and blood on screen or even those who aren’t used to the horror genre are the ones who shouldn’t see this movie. My final word is that it is beautifully shot and terror filled to make it a great movie.

Final Rating: 4.5/5

You can watch the official trailer here.