The witch

A family in 1630s New England is torn apart by the forces of witchcraft, black magic and possession. A family in 1630s New England is torn apart by the forces of witchcraft, black magic and possession. A family in 1630s New England is torn apart by the forces of witchcraft, black magic and possession.

In 1630 New England, panic and despair envelops a farmer, his wife and their children when youngest son Samuel suddenly vanishes. The family blames Thomasin, the oldest daughter who was watching the boy at the time of his disappearance. With suspicion and paranoia mounting, twin siblings Mercy and Jonas suspect Thomasin of witchcraft, testing the clan's faith, loyalty and love to one another. Show More • Rating: R (Graphic Nudity|Disturbing Violent Content) • Genre: Horror, History, Drama • Original Language: English • Director: • Producer: • Writer: • Release Date (Theaters): Feb 19, 2016 wide • Release Date (Streaming): May 17, 2016 • Box Office (Gross USA): $25.1M • Runtime: 1h 32m • Distributor: A24 Neo-horror film based on New England folk tales as well as the fear of the wood and the supernatural. Well acted and filmed, the movie does not follow regular "scary movie" blue prints. That's a blessing for its unpredictability and a curse for its slow pace. There are some deeply unsettling and creepy scenes, but very few classical scares. The religious zealousness of regular 17th century folks is almost as uncomfortable to watch as the witch in the woods. The ending actually dares to go bat shit crazy, you gotta admire that.

A father and his son, a boy of twelve or so, go into a wood. They are out hunting, armed with a gun. As they walk, they engage in one of those ordinary, man-to-man chats that arise on a country stroll. “Canst thou tell me what thy corrupt nature is?” the father asks. “My corrupt nature is empty of grace, bent unto sin, only unto sin, and that continually,” the lad replies. Clearly, he has learned the words by rote, yet they don’t sound tired or hollow in his mouth; he means them. His next task is to help with the traps that have been laid in the undergrowth. We watch his small hands slowly easing wide the iron jaws. These scenes are from “The Witch,” a film written and directed by Robert Eggers. The father is William (Ralph Ineson), who is tall and roughly bearded, with a hatchet face. Indeed, there is something axelike in his demeanor, and he seems most elemental—most true to his own hard-hewn being—when stripped to the waist and savagely splitting logs. He would make a good executioner. The boy is Caleb (Harvey Scrimshaw), who looks solid enough, though a flame of fear burns in his eyes. William is married to Katherine (Kate Dickie), and they have four other children: an older daughter, the radiant Thomasin (Anya Taylor-Joy); twins, Mercy (Ellie Grainger) and Jonas (Lucas Dawson), young and mischievous; and a baby named Samuel. He is tended to, one day, by Thomasin, who plays peekaboo for his delight, in the open air. Three times she covers and uncovers her eyes, and he ...