Rank: 4.5
It may just be the consistently repeated line “there’s evil in the woods” in “The Witch,” but it’s obvious from the beginning that something treacherous is in the dark woods.
The year is 1630. A family is banished from their Puritan plantation because of a “religious conflict” that is never made clear.
A few years pass and the family has settled a small patch of land and had more children since finding their new home. One day, the youngest child goes missing. The family quickly enters a downward spiral which gives way to fear, paranoia, accusation and doubt.
The film manipulates viewers by slowly feeding them bites of information they think they can trust, only to quickly disprove everything thought to be true about the characters and their situations.
Unlike most horror movies, “The Witch” does not rely on jump scares or gore to hold moviegoers’ attention.
Instead, there are slow and ominous build-ups leading to bone-chillingly disturbing moments that will stick with you for weeks after leaving the theater.
It is to the film’s credit that the builds are not boring in the slightest.
The moments that make a shiver go down your spine are so powerful because it’s clear the characters’ fear is completely authentic. It feels as if we are watching a real-life drama unfold.
All of these elements are strung together magnificently and with such precision that viewers feel horror at each and every moment of the film.
It is only February, but it is difficult to imagine another film coming out this year that is more innovative and groundbreaking than “The Witch.”