"The Witch: A New England Folktale" "The Witch: A New England Folktale" is a psychological horror film written and directed by Robert Eggers. Released in 2015, the movie is set in 17th century New England and revolves around a Puritan family facing supernatural occurrences in their isolated farm. The film opens with William, a devoutly religious man, being banished from a Puritan plantation due to a disagreement over theological matters. Along with his wife Katherine, their five children, and newborn baby, the family settles on the edge of an ominous forest. Their peaceful existence soon unravels as their crops fail and their farm animals become afflicted. The family attributes their misfortunes to the haunting presence of a witch residing within the forest.
I’d been dying to see Robert Eggers’ first major film, The Witch (or The VVitch), since its debut in 2016; it looked like the kind of dark, slow-burn thriller I always love. So, protected by my cat and quilt one gloomy Saturday night, my friend Laura and I hunkered down to watch it.
Eggers also recognizes that Caleb is just at the age when he s beginning to take an interest in sex, and his comely older sister is the only desirable woman in sight Now and then the boy steals a glance at her mostly covered-up bosom when we see Thomasin through his eyes, the camera lens picks up his guilt, too, as if it were a specter. Thomasin Anya Taylor-Joy, a waifish blond with the look of a faerie child fresh off the lily pad is the eldest daughter in a family of five that has recently been banished from their plantation.
The family attributes their misfortunes to the haunting presence of a witch residing within the forest. However, it becomes evident that the source of their torment may lie deeper within the family itself. As tension escalates, paranoia and suspicion grip the family members, leading to a breakdown of trust and unity.
Review: Old Fears Run Deep in The Witch
T he subtitle of Robert Eggers’ intense and unnerving feature debut The Witch is A New-England Folktale, and once you’ve seen the movie, you’ll think even ye olde unnecessary hyphen is scary. The Witch, creeping along with its divining rod of dread, covers lots of ground, even beyond our universal fascination with, and fear of, the supernatural: Can the onset of adolescence, particularly in girls, trigger supernatural whirls of energy capable of attracting evil? Is nature our friend, and can its various creatures be trusted? Can we ever truly come to terms with the self-righteous wrongdoing that litters our collective American past? Set in 1630 New England, The Witch is partly the story of a family torn apart by mysterious evil, but like any folktale, its true function is to nose around deeper, murkier anxieties. Eggers draws those vexations out of hiding in all their moist, miserable glory, like dubious mushrooms unearthed from a woodland floor.
Thomasin (Anya Taylor-Joy, a waifish blond with the look of a faerie child fresh off the lily pad) is the eldest daughter in a family of five that has recently been banished from their plantation. The father, William (Ralph Ineson), apparently has some religious notions too rigid even for the local Puritans, so he gathers his tight-knit, ultra-pious brood and heads for more remote territory, optimistically planting crops that he’s sure will sustain his family. But he’s wrong—the crops ultimately fail—and an even more horrible fate befalls the group shortly after they set up their homestead: The glowing, robust babe to whom mother Katherine (Kate Dickie) has recently given birth is mysteriously snatched away, under Thomasin’s watch.
From there, the strange and terrible events mount, and it’s clear (to us, at least) that the source of all these scourges is someone—or something—lurking in the eerily silent gray-green forest that borders the family’s property. And nothing improves when Thomasin and her younger brother, stalwart and principled Caleb (played by a soulful young actor with a whale of a New England name, Harvey Scrimshaw), venture there. The events that unfold lead Thomasin’s family to suspect that she might be a handmaiden of Satan—and we wonder too if, wittingly or not, she has become a conduit for evil.
The Witch has been made with extreme care, and part of what makes its supernatural elements so terrifying is that Eggers is also in tune with the more ordinary challenges of just being human: This is a family out of synch with a strange new land, their hearts and minds still connected by ghostlike threads to the old one. In one of the movie’s most touching—and least scary—scenes, Thomasin quizzes Caleb about what he remembers of England and the world they came from—a world of stained-glass windows and silver cups that’s a far cry from the rugged, inhospitable landscape of their current home. Eggers also recognizes that Caleb is just at the age when he’s beginning to take an interest in sex, and his comely older sister is the only desirable woman in sight: Now and then the boy steals a glance at her mostly covered-up bosom—when we see Thomasin through his eyes, the camera lens picks up his guilt, too, as if it were a specter.
The Witch is aware, every moment, of the slender but strong tether between the natural world and the unearthly one. Eggers (who has previously worked as a production and costume designer) and cinematographer Jarin Blaschke shot most of the movie in natural light, though morning, noon, or evening, every minute on this accursed farm looks like twilight—this is an Early American world shrouded in translucent dread. Although Eggers is extremely discreet—the things you don’t see are more horrifying than those you do—the picture’s relentlessness sometimes feels like torment, a quasi-Biblical punishment with an unpleasant sheen.
But if you can survive it, The Witch is a triumph of tone. Some of the creepiest things in it are also the most seemingly benign, like a sequence in which Thomasin’s young twin siblings, mini-adults in stiff grown-up clothes, cackle and chortle and chant as they taunt one of the family goats, a shaggy black beast with spiraling horns. Something about those kids just isn’t right, but damned if you can put your finger on it.
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It is not a loud and brash film and a great deal of the audio sits low in the front and centre. Possibly too low for speech on occasion, but the different tones of the voices come to be appreciated, especially towards the end. The brief flashes of surround effects can startle and Mark Korven’s subtle score is used sparingly but nonetheless can be suitably oppressive.
The eldest daughter, Thomasin, becomes the primary target of suspicion, accused of being in league with the devil. The family's religious beliefs and superstitious nature exacerbate their fears, driving them to the brink of desperation. The film explores themes of religious fanaticism, fear of the unknown, and the destructive power of isolation. It delves into the unraveling psyche of its characters, examining the fragile boundaries between sanity and madness. Eggers expertly crafts a chilling atmosphere through masterful use of lighting, sound design, and period-accurate dialogue. "The Witch: A New England Folktale" showcases Eggers' meticulous attention to detail and his ability to create a sense of unease and dread. It is a slow-burning horror that relies on psychological horror rather than jump scares, making it a standout entry in the genre. The film garnered critical acclaim and won the Directing Award in the US Dramatic category at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival. Its success has solidified Eggers as a promising filmmaker and has cemented the film as a modern classic in the horror genre. In conclusion, "The Witch: A New England Folktale" is a haunting and atmospheric film that explores themes of religious paranoia and psychological terror. It is a thought-provoking and unsettling experience that showcases Eggers' talent as a filmmaker..
Reviews for "The Disruption of Traditional Gender Roles in "The Witch: a New England Folktale"
1. Sarah - 2/5 - I was really disappointed with "The Witch: A New England Folktale." The movie had so much potential with its atmospheric setting and eerie trailers, but it failed to deliver on its promises. The storyline was incredibly slow-paced, and I found myself losing interest halfway through. The characters lacked depth and development, making it hard to connect with any of them. The scares were cheap and predictable, relying heavily on jump scares rather than building suspense. Overall, it felt like a wasted opportunity to create a genuinely terrifying horror film.
2. Michael - 1/5 - "The Witch: A New England Folktale" was an absolute snooze fest. The pacing was painfully slow, and the concept of the film was executed poorly. I found myself getting bored within the first 20 minutes and struggled to stay engaged until the end. The acting was flat, and the dialogue felt forced and unnatural. Additionally, the movie seemed more focused on creating shock value than on building a cohesive and compelling narrative. The scares were sparse and lacked any real depth. Overall, I would not recommend this film to anyone seeking an enjoyable horror experience.
3. Emily - 2/5 - I had high hopes for "The Witch: A New England Folktale," but unfortunately, it fell flat for me. The slow pacing made it difficult to stay engaged, and I felt that the movie relied too heavily on atmosphere rather than a gripping plot. While the cinematography was beautiful, it couldn't make up for the lack of substance in the story and characters. The scares were minimal and predictable, failing to truly terrify or leave a lasting impact. Overall, I was left feeling underwhelmed and unsatisfied with this film.