This “New-England Folktale” centers on the premise of fear and faith in the 1630’s New England wilderness as a family recently banished from a Puritan colony, start a new life on a farmstead. William chooses to build a new home for his pregnant wife Katherine, and their five children Thomasin, Caleb, twins Mercy and Jonas, and the soon born Samuel, near a secluded forest. Shortly after the homestead is constructed Thomasin is watching over the new-born Samuel. As she plays peekaboo with the infant, uncovering her eyes to reveal that the child has disappeared! Revealed soon after that a skulking forest witch has stolen the child for use in her rituals. The loss of Samuel sparks the fire for the rest of the film as the grief and terror washes over the family as supernatural occurrences grow and blame begins to be shifted around the once loving family. The film carries forward building an ever growing sense of dread and mystic to a boiling point ending that will be on your mind for days after finishing the film.
The VVitch was Anya Taylor-Joy’s first film appearance and as a center focus she delivered a stellar performance launching her career forward. While this film was largely a financial and critical success for A24, grossing $40 million against a $4 million budget, the setting, slow burn, and overall tone of the film has left some polarized on the film either loving it or despising it. To alleviate some of the issues I have personally been presented with, I would advise watching the film with subtitles on, and go into the film with the understanding that the content is extreme and visceral at times.
As always, if you’ve seen the listed film, dislike the film, or just don’t believe you would like it we have provided a list of alternative choices for you to pick from: alternative-films-for-this-spooky-season
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