The Witch (2015) Review – A Haunting and Masterful Folk-Horror Tale

Welcome to Knockout Horror. Today we are taking a look at Robert Eggers’ phenomenal horror hit The Witch (2015).

A haunting period horror

A family in 1600s New England are banished from their puritan settlement over a religious dispute. The family, consisting of father William (Ralph Ineson), mother Katherine (Kate Dickie), eldest daughter Thomasin (Anya Taylor-Joy) and son Caleb (Harvey Scrimshaw), as well as young twins Mercy and Jonas, are determined to carry on. They set up home in a rural location and attempt to live off the land. After Katherine gives birth to a son, the child goes missing while under the care of Thomasin. Could it be true that a witch kidnapped Samuel or could this just be the start of the family’s inevitable decline?

“The Witch, though ostensibly a horror movie, almost plays out like an old cautionary fairy tale. It captures the danger that exists when one wanders from the beaten path but stretches it to a grander scale.”

The Witch, though ostensibly a horror movie, almost plays out like an old cautionary fairy tale. The idea of there being something ominous hiding in the woods is a tale as old as time. Fairy tales have been used for centuries to warn people of the dangers that exist when one wanders from the beaten path. The Witch captures this perfectly but stretches it to a grander scale to examine society, sexual desire, familial conflict, and the general struggles of life.

The family here know that the world is hostile but they attempt to work within it. Despite the vast expanses of the landscape around them, everything feels incredibly claustrophobic. Nowhere is safe and the ground at their farm is barren. They are essentially trapped and unable to escape their terror. All they can do is attempt to endure a slow decline but life is conspiring to only make matters worse. This is where the supernatural and the mundane everyday collide to create a modern classic folk-horror.

More than just a supernatural horror movie

At its heart, this is an exploration of domestic decline set against a backdrop of horror. Sure, we have the whole implication that a witch lives in the woods and there are supernatural happenings afoot. But it is the very real everyday stuff that is causing the family the majority of their problems. Whether it is the young twins lying about their older sister, a son who is experiencing a sexual awakening without an outlet, abject poverty, or a husband and wife who are crumbling under the stress.

The Witch is a domestic horror as much as it is a supernatural one. It’s actually the family’s belief system that places them in this situation and leads it to become increasingly worse. Eggers expertly uses the family’s religious ideals to blur the lines between what is real and what is in their heads. He also uses it to place them in an endless cycle of decline.

“The period setting established the family’s belief structure and adds a sense of authenticity. The fear of witches, and the unknown, was all too real for people back then.”

This is a puritan family who believes in the devil and has every reason to suspect their own daughter of witchcraft. They literally can’t escape the hell they have found themselves in. The period setting of the 1600s establishes the family’s belief structure and adds a sense of authenticity to the character’s reactions. The fear of witches, and the unknown, was all too real for people back then.

On top of this, the family are banished from their community. There is no help and nowhere for them to run to which adds a sense of desperation to everything the family go through. In our modern world, it might not be easy to relate to the characters in The Witch but you can sympathise with their plight.

Is it scary?

This is perhaps the biggest question of all regarding a horror movie. I think the answer, to be honest, is not particularly. I absolutely love The Witch but it doesn’t really offer up any major scares. There are a few scenes that will likely frighten a few viewers but the movie relies far more on tension than outright horror. The things the family experience are terrifying in and of themselves. The desolate area they live in and the forest next to it are extremely foreboding but the scares are minimal.

Like most folk horror, it is the concept that is scary rather than the things we see on screen. You are watching a group of people come apart at the seams in the most visceral way possible. The horror is in their rapid unraveling and the consequences of it. Sure, the implication of supernatural stuff always lingers but everything that happens here could be easily ascribed to the family’s living situation as anything witch or devil related.

In that respect, you could make the argument that The Witch is barely a horror movie at all. I think, in my opinion, it is many different things. It is a period drama; it’s a mystery; it’s a little bit of a thriller; and it is a little bit of a folk fairy tale. If you demand scares to class something as a horror, you may be disappointed but it is, at its heart, a horror story. Sure, it is not a very scary horror, but how many horror movies are legitimately scary?

Stunningly filmed

Cinematographer Jarin Blaschke decided to film The Witch in a 1.66:1 aspect ratio which lends the movie a very antiquated look. You do not see a lot of movies that look like this nowadays and it will likely stand out straight away to people who watch mainly modern media. Somehow the black bars at the side of the image feel almost as old as the period the movie was set in. It’s funny how quickly filming standards have changed. With this being said, however, The Witch looks truly stunning.

Closeup shots of characters look fantastic with the larger vertical aspect helping to frame characters perfectly. Forest scenes are particularly imposing. The limited horizontal shot making the trees feel as though they are closing in on the characters.

“You should absolutely watch The Witch. It’s one of the most significant folk horror movies of recent times; a great movie, both beautiful and haunting.”

Night time scenes are claustrophobic and foreboding as the dimly lit characters are lost in the narrow blackness of the lens. It’s all very beautiful to look at. Jarin Blaschke would go on to work with Eggers again on The Lighthouse. He was also head of photography on M Night Shyamalan’s Knock at the Cabin.

An acting tour de force

Viewers from the UK will likely recognise a face or two from The Witch. Ralph Ineson has been acting in British drama series since the late 90s and Kate Dickie has been around since the 2000s. Both put on absolutely tremendous performances that stand out for their authenticity. They are both incredibly believable as pious English people living in a strange land and trying to survive.

The standout performance here, however, is Anya Taylor-Joy in her first credited acting roll. It is her performance here that opened the eyes of people in the industry and for good reason. She is entirely believable as Thomasin. Taylor-Joy perfectly encapsulates the turmoil of a young woman facing a number of horrific accusations. All while trying to help her family as much as possible. It’s a powerful performance and one that deserves a lot of praise. Especially considering her lack of acting experience at the time.

It should be mentioned that some may struggle with the accents here and the audio mix can be a problem. Ralph Ineson, in particular, can be difficult to understand. His thick Northern English accent is thicker than ever here. He has a deep voice, as well, and the sound mix does him no favours. It makes him difficult to understand at times. This is Eggers’ style and he would do the exact same in The Lighthouse.

Our Scoring Philosophy: A Fair Fight

Horror is a genre that thrives thanks to indie film makers and low budget creators. At Knockout Horror, we firmly believe that every movie that we review deserves a fair fight. That's why we grade on a curve. Our star ratings are all about context, judging a film on what it achieves with the resources it has.

A 4-star rating for a scrappy indie horror made for $10,000 is a testament to its ingenuity and raw power. A 4-star rating for a $100 million blockbuster means it delivered on its epic promises. We don't compare them side-by-side; we celebrate success in every weight class, from the back-alley brawler to the heavyweight champion. Please keep this in mind when considering star ratings.

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