The witch rating is a concept that has emerged in recent years within the realm of witchcraft and the occult. It refers to the idea of ranking or evaluating witches based on their skills, knowledge, experience, and reputation within the community. Unlike traditional forms of ranking, the witch rating is not a hierarchical system. There is no one authority or governing body that determines one's rating. Instead, it is a subjective assessment made by individuals or groups within the witchcraft community. The criteria for evaluating a witch can vary widely and depend on personal preferences and beliefs.
MaryAnn’s quick take: Eerie and sinister, operating on a more psychologically incisive level than the typical horror flick. until it tosses it all with a cop-out of an ending.
There are no genuine scares there are signifiers of fear that are meant to be scary merely because they are placed in front of a camera creepy clown dolls; silent sullen children; bare tree branches shifting in a breeze. Caleb eventually finds himself in the woods as well, which results in an amazing scene for the young Scrimshaw that has got to get the kid more work.
The criteria for evaluating a witch can vary widely and depend on personal preferences and beliefs. Some may focus on a person's expertise in certain branches of witchcraft, such as herbalism, divination, or spellcasting. Others may consider their level of experience and the number of years they have been practicing.
The Witch Review
Writer-director Robert Eggers’ debut feature, The Witch, is a film that immediately transports the viewer to a strange and unsettling alien world: New England of the year 1630, where a Puritan family struggles to survive -- and stay together -- in the face of the brutal wilderness and mysterious, evil forces that surround their lonely, isolated farm.
But there’s more at work in this film than the tried and true horror notion of what lurks beyond, and it’s that chord of religious fanaticism and familial disintegration that really sticks with you long after the closing credits have rolled.
Loading PlayThe father of the family is William (Ralph Ineson of Game of Thrones, Harry Potter and The Office), a devout man of faith whose belief system is apparently too extreme even for his fellow Puritan colonists. As such, William and his wife and children are expelled from the colony, and head out alone into the unknown with all of their worldly possessions strapped to an unwieldy wagon. They eventually find a plot of land on the edge of a forest, but as Eggers’ camera trains ominously on a single tree at the tip of the woods, it’s abundantly clear that this is not prime real estate at all.
Newcomer Anya Taylor-Joy stars as Thomasin, the eldest daughter who is caught between the needs of her family, her status as a girl on the verge of womanhood, and the extremely unwise and precarious situation her father has put them all in. While playing peek-a-boo in the field with her infant brother, the child suddenly disappears. We see a figure running off with the child in the woods, but the more startling image may be that very game of peek-a-boo, where Eggers puts us in the place of the baby momentarily as Taylor-Joy’s face hangs over us. It’s an odd thing, because Thomasin clearly loves her brother and is playing with him, but every time she uncovered her eyes and yelled “boo” I recoiled a bit.
The family doesn’t know who took the child, however, and this is the first blow of many for the clan. Thomasin isn’t accused outright, not at first anyway, of being responsible for the loss of the baby, but as things grow dire for the family she increasingly becomes a target of her mother’s (a creepy and fragile Kate Dickie, who also played the creepy and fragile Lysa Arryn on Game of Thrones) and her younger twin siblings’, who begin hurling accusations that she’s a witch. Anya Taylor-Joy stars as Thomasin in The Witch.
Thomasin’s other brother is Caleb (Harvey Scrimshaw), who’s closer in age to her than the twins and beginning to feel the stirrings that any young teenage boy would. Of course, living alone with his family and with no other girls close to his age around (beyond Thomasin) isn’t an ideal situation, and this only adds another bit of unsettling texture to the dynamic of this household. Caleb eventually finds himself in the woods as well, which results in an amazing scene for the young Scrimshaw that has got to get the kid more work.
But it’s Taylor-Joy’s movie, as Thomasin tries to keep her family together even while all points lead to its complete and utter collapse. We can see that she is an innocent young girl who only means well, but are the twins right about her? Why is nature so ill at ease around her, anyway? Images of blood coming from a goat’s udder that she’s trying to milk, or a dead baby bird inside a cracked egg she’s handling, are haunting. Meanwhile, the film’s use of sound effects at times shocks the viewer into a sense of unease.
Some audiences may find the dialogue of the film challenging, as Thomasin and company speak in something approaching an authentic (one supposes) early 1600s New England Puritan dialect. The result adds to the otherworldly and off-putting feel of the drama, but it’s not a surprise that not a ton of that lingo has been included in the promotion for The Witch. Similarly, those looking for more conventional horror scares may not find what they’re looking for in this moody, creepy tale.
Loading PlayWhile all the performances in the film are notable, from the little ones to the parents and right on up through “Black Phillip” -- the family goat who may or may not be in tune with the dark forces surrounding the family -- Taylor-Joy stands out as the young, terrified girl who despite her best efforts faces the inexorable pull of madness that those around her exerting. Really, it began even before their move to the border of the dark woods, with a pressure to be righteous and pure and true to God that is so great that it seems virtually impossible to meet. The Witch has its fair share of witchcraft, but that’s not the only horror at play here.
Verdict
Robert Eggers (who won a directing award at Sundance last year for this film) makes his mark with The Witch, a remarkable tale of fear and horror that also serves as a very disturbing coming of age story. Anya Taylor-Joy also mesmerizes as the girl torn between her crumbling family and survival.
This isn’t a word that can be applied to many horror movies of late: eldritch. There is something truly eerily sinister seeping from The Witch, and it is electrifying in a way that is very rare for the genre. Eggers creates some astonishingly unsettling visuals — precisely the sorts of things you would expect to spring from the minds of people obsessed with the Bible, and particularly with the hellfire stuff — as bad omens seem to plague the family, including the disappearance of their newborn son seemingly into thin air. Griefstricken mother, Katherine (Kate Dickie: Game of Thrones, Catch Me Daddy), blames her eldest child, teenager Thomasin (Anya Taylor-Joy), because she was watching the infant; and as another son is taken by a fever and seizures, fears of witchcraft grip the family. As the family turns on one another with increasing suspicion and violence, we are left to wonder just what is going on. Is the family’s isolation and the psychological stress they are under combining with father William’s (Ralph Ineson: Kingsman: The Secret Service, Guardians of the Galaxy) fixation on sin to drive them all mad? Or is the forest home to an actual evil that is out to capture their souls?
Furthermore, reputation and the respect garnered from peers play a significant role in determining one's witch rating. This can be based on factors such as the accuracy of their predictions, the success of their spellwork, or their ethical conduct within the community. It is essential to note that the witch rating is a controversial topic, as it can be seen as encouraging competition and ego-driven behavior within the witchcraft community. It can also perpetuate notions of superiority and inferiority among witches, potentially excluding those who are new to the practice or have different approaches. Some argue that witchcraft is a personal and individual path, and thus, ranking or evaluating others goes against the inclusive and supportive nature of the community. They believe that everyone's journey is unique, and there is no objective measure by which to compare or rank witches. Ultimately, the witch rating is a concept that has gained traction in some circles. Still, it is not universally accepted or practiced within the broader witchcraft community. The focus for many remains on personal growth, learning, and collaboration, rather than competition or evaluating others..
Reviews for "The Witch Rating: Ranking Witches Based on Abilities"
1. Sarah - 1/5 rating - I found "The Witch" to be incredibly boring and slow-paced. The story felt disjointed and lacked any real scares or suspense. The acting was subpar and the characters were one-dimensional. Overall, I was highly disappointed and would not recommend this film to anyone looking for a good horror movie.
2. Michael - 2/5 rating - "The Witch" had potential, but ultimately fell flat for me. The atmosphere and cinematography were impressive, creating a sense of unease throughout the film. However, the plot was confusing and the pacing was sluggish. The characters were underdeveloped, making it hard to invest in their journey. In the end, I was left feeling unsatisfied and wishing for more substance.
3. Emily - 2/5 rating - I'm not sure what all the hype was about with "The Witch." I found it to be a pretentious and overly artistic take on the horror genre. The slow-burn approach was taken to the extreme, resulting in a lack of meaningful plot development. The dialogue was hard to follow, and the constant whispering became annoying. Overall, I was left feeling frustrated and unimpressed by this film.
4. David - 1/5 rating - "The Witch" was a complete waste of time in my opinion. The story was convoluted and uninteresting, with a plot that went nowhere. The characters were unlikeable and their actions made no sense. The attempts at horror were laughable, and I found myself more bored than scared. Save yourself the trouble and skip this one.
5. Jessica - 1/5 rating - I couldn't wait for "The Witch" to be over. The slow pace and lack of action made it feel like it was dragging on forever. The ending was anticlimactic and left me feeling unsatisfied. The only positive aspect was the visuals, but even they couldn't save this disappointment of a film. Do yourself a favor and find something better to watch.