Fantastic Fest ’15 Review: THE WITCH

The Witch is not what you’re expecting, this I can guarantee. Robert Eggers’ debut feature is most certainly not a horror film, though the themes are dark as coal. As the title card states this is a “New England Folk Tale” which is set sometime in the 1600s. William (Ralph Ineson) and his family are exiled from their community and forced to move to a secluded ranch near the forest. His five children range in age from 16 down, the oldest of which being Thomasin (Anya Taylor-Joy). While watching the infant, a game of peek-a-boo ends abruptly when the child disappears. A hunt for food draws William and his oldest son Caleb (Harvey Scrimshaw) into an area of the woods which is not to be ventured into, wherein lives at least one of the titular witches. A series of events leads the family to believe Thomasin is herself a witch and after tragedy strikes everyone begins to spiral out of control, led by shattered mother Katherine (Kate Dickie).

Eggers did extensive research on the subject of witchcraft in New England and said that most of the dialogue is taken directly from the findings. This dialogue is dense, difficult to follow, and accented to the point of incoherence at times. Thankfully the actors are so good that it doesn’t matter all that much since the intention is often apparent. Relative newcomers Taylor-Joy and Scrimshaw are extremely talented kids, both bringing a raw, powerful edge to their characters in key moments. Also quite strong are Dickie and Ineson as the distraught parents struggling with loss and confusion.

Eggers advised against spoilers in reviews and articles as its best to know as little about the movie as possible. My favorite quote of his is the hat he worked to make a character’s demise a “death by orgasm,” which I immediately got. His character direction was the best aspect of the movie, I felt. His direction in general is very solid and the visuals are undoubtedly gorgeous and atmospheric. I have no idea how his style will translate to a modern set film but it should be interesting to find out.

I found it difficult to manage my expectations with what I got from The Witch. I walked away underwhelmed after the hype surrounding the project, but I’m not sure if it’s fair to knock it for that much. There’s no clue as to what mainstream audiences will take away when the movie opens in March, but I’ve no doubt there will be others expecting an intense horror film that just isn’t there. What IS there is a well acted, well directed, underwritten drama with some intense moments. It’s a very bleak movie all around which I commend. I enjoyed the ending quite a bit and in hindsight wished the rest of the film had been as creepy as it ended up. Watch with caution and lower your expectations.