"Think The Crucible meets The Shining, seen through the eyes of a teenage girl wrestling to resolve her rigid religious upbringing with her burgeoning sexuality." - Jen Yamato, The Daily Beast
Think of a rollercoaster that moves slowly and jarringly - rattling on the track as it goes. You can't see anything in front of you, but you know you're not where you're supposed to be. Ever so often, your car will lurch violently or drop suddenly - and then put you right back to a sedated, rumbling ride. The result is an unwelcome sense of nausea and a petrifying sense of dread.
That rollercoaster is The Witch.
The Witch blends the known and the unknown better than most horror movies I have seen. From the beginning, it had me right where it wanted me. I vividly remember looking over at my friend to see his reaction at the same time he looked to see mine - both of our jaws had dropped down into the bottom of our popcorn buckets.
It's the opposite of cheap horror - it's creeping, disturbing horror that relies heavily on the pacing, the clever editing, the shrill orchestral and choral music, and some of the best child acting I've seen since Room.
The Witch pulls absolutely 0 punches - thematically and literally. What other movies could have hinted at this movie shows you - and it's incredibly effective. It never feels forced.
On my way out of the theater, I passed what looked to be an elementary-aged kid and his mom, waiting to see the next showing. I smiled and gave them a heartfelt, "Good luck."
I still wonder if that kid slept that night.
The moral of this story is - don't mess with witchcraft. But go see The Witch.
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