The Witch (2015) - Review
Originally published October, 2016I mentioned The Witch in my list of top movies to stream from Amazon Prime for October 2016, but I wanted to give it some more attention for a number of reasons. For one thing, it's the first new horror film I've watched in quite a while. It's also an exciting and enthralling movie, even if the horror elements were removed.
I mentioned it before in my list article, but The Witch almost requires that you watch it with subtitles on. Since the story takes place during the Puritan days of American history, the characters are speaking in a dialect of English that can be real tough to follow. Once you can follow it along, though, the film is quite good.
So peaceful... for now
Pros
Acting is very convincing, even from some of the child actors
Music is well-edited. It swells at unpredictable moments and is silent in others, making the movie feel more tense and captivating; similar to The Shining
Silence is used very well when it comes to the sound editing
Very minimalist view when it comes to the horror part of the film, making the film more of a character-focused drama
Empathetic and flawed characters that make the story more interesting
The slow deliberate pace of the film might be a con to some, but I think it works really well
Cons
A character who appears towards the end throws off some of the ambiguity and I think could have been utilized in a different way
The climax of the film is a little hard to follow, still don't quite know what happened
Plot & Thoughts
I actually had some trouble coming up with real significant cons for the movie. I certainly won't go as far to say that The Witch is the greatest horror movie I've seen in years, but I do think it's a well-made, focused film that accomplishes most of what it set out to do.
The Witch centers around a Puritan family who immigrated to the American colonies from England during the 1600's. The father of the family has some strong religious convictions and his beliefs clash with those of the community. Due to his outspoken beliefs, the family is banished and forced to start a farm on their own, close to an unexplored forest. In the first 15 minutes, the film establishes a few things:
The religious devotion of the oldest daughter, Thomasin
The somewhat tumultuous relationship between Thomasin and her parents
The sexual frustrations of the oldest son, Caleb
The stubborn but silent pride of the father, William
The fact that there's a freaking scary witch in the woods
Despite the fact that there is indeed a witch who makes this family suffer a lot in this film, the witch is rarely ever-present on-screen. Her presence in the background is enough to act as a catalyst for many conflicts that occur within the family. So, while this is a horror film, The Witch is also very clearly a character-drama.
This kid is pretty convincing
After the first bad thing happens to the family, we start to learn a lot about each of the characters. The father, who has a stern and growling voice, hides his grief and emotions under his pride. The oldest son feels a need to help and provide for his family, but also has some lustful longing due to his age that make him feel dirty and conflicted. The oldest daughter, who has likely been a scapegoat for that family all her life, is forced into that position again and again by the film's end. Through their behavior and the film's direction, we can clearly witness hostility and paranoia start to slowly eat away at the characters.
Many of these details and changes the characters go through are not told to us as fact. They are shown, forming assumptions based off how the actors and the dialogue portray them. By the end of the film, I felt like I understood who these people were because of how well everything was acted and written. It's also the flaws of these characters that make them so relatable and interesting. The statements the parents make towards the Thomasin are appropriately passive-aggressive, like parents would talk to their kids for whom they hold a grudge. The film also shows us her perspective much of the time, making us more empathetic towards her in these situations.
The person for whom I felt the worst was the father. I think having Ralph Ineson—whom I'd never recognized before—play the role of the father was a fantastic choice. His deep, gravely voice would normally be ideal for the monster or killer in a horror film. So, the fact that he plays a victim in multiple perspectives makes that juxtaposition more endearing to the character. His voice and presence is perfect for that of the stern father figure who is trying to provide for his family, while hiding his grief and shame behind his pride. He and Thomasin are the most conflicted and complex characters, and we get to watch their resolve tested as they go through hell together.
TL;DR (Conclusion)
When I watched The Witch, I initially thought it was a good horror movie at the time. Thinking back on the acting, the cinematography, the great direction, the sound editing, I realize it's a very good movie. The actors and the film's direction provide real depth to these characters that is not common for a horror film. Check it out.
Do you agree or disagree? Tell me what you think in the comments!
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