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The Witch

2016 • 92 minutes
3.6
306 reviews
90%
Tomatometer
15
Rating
Eligible

About this movie

New England, 1630: William and Katherine lead a devout Christian life with their five children, homesteading on the edge of an impassible wilderness. When their newborn son mysteriously vanishes and their crops fail, the family begins to turn on one another. The Witch is a chilling portrait of a family unravelling within their own fears and anxieties, leaving them prey to an inescapable evil. (Original Title - The Witch) - 2015 By Witch Movie, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Rating
15

Ratings and reviews

3.6
306 reviews
Alex Lister
September 23, 2016
Well worth a watch, and certainly worth sticking with. It is fairly low-key, but in a promising way that ultimately delivers. I can't think of many modern day horror films that have quietly built like this one, with disturbing undertones, to a conclusion that is genuinely chilling. It must be said that the first shock is seeing Chris Finch from The Office (UK) in seventeenth-century New England, but slowly Finchy disappears from your mind and a worried father, whose responsibility is escaping him, is nicely played. I think that the dialogue, although true to its source material, could have been simplified. Some of the wording sounds forced, or in other words unnatural. That aside, an enjoyable tale - the acting is brilliant, especially from the children, and it doesn't outstay it's welcome. It makes the most of a fairly simple set-up, basic but atmospheric woodland scenery, and only a handful of characters, and the threat always seems real if at times necessarily vague. 4.5/5.
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Paul Craig
May 27, 2018
Just looking at the negative reviews makes me sad. This is possibly the best horror film of the last 10 years. It feels authentic to the time it’s set in. It’s Slow, deliberate, genuinely upsetting and, most importantly, scary. This is what true horror looks like. Extraordinary performances from all the cast, particularly the son and the 2 youngest children. I look forward to seeing what this director does next. Because if this is his debut feature then we as film fans have a lot to look forward too.
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Jeremy O'Dwyer
August 17, 2016
I really enjoyed this film. If you're looking for an action packed monster/horror movie then this isn't that kind of film. What it is though is a beautifully shot, brilliantly acted, and very tense drama where the excitement comes from the tension of a family slowly falling apart and turning on itself due to societal, cultural, religious and superstitious pressures. Well worth seeing if you're in the mood for something a bit different.
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