By Melissa Antoinette Garza
THE WITCH (2016) has finally hit Redbox. I had wanted to see this when it was released in theaters but life and scheduling interfered.
To be honest, I didn’t quite know what to expect and the reviews were mixed. Some said it was absolutely terrifying whereas others said it was boring and uneventful. Oddly, neither sentiments fit the film.
From the mindset of a horror film fan, the movie fails to deliver spine-tingling or unnerving moments. Though there is enough imagery and panic within the characters to qualify it as a horror. Even without the typical elements or formula one expects, THE WITCH delivers a great story that incorporates actual journals, testimonies and folklore from the 1600s. Much of the dialogue utilized in the film, Robert Eggers (writer and director) took from these writings.
THE WITCH opens in 1630 with patriarch William (Ralph Ineson) leaving the plantation with his family believing that the residents were not Godly enough. William alongside his wife Katherine (Kate Dickie) and five children go on their own into the wilderness.
One day, when their eldest child Thomasin (Anya Taylor-Joy) is watching their newborn, she plays peek-a-boo and when she opens her eyes, the baby is gone. Katherine is inconsolable as no one knows where the child has gone to.
Meanwhile, her young twins Mercy (Ellie Grainger) and Jonas (Lucas Dawson) develop an unusual bond with a goat they call Black Phillip. Mercy taunts her older sister saying that Phillip told her that Thomasin was a witch. Sick of hearing it, Thomasin turns around and says that she is in fact a witch and she signed a contract with the devil. This horrifies Mercy who runs away.
The middle son, Caleb (Harvey Scrimshaw) who appears to be around 10 years old, tries to protect his family. He goes out in the middle of the night with Thomasin to hunt and gather food. At one point, their dog runs in the forest and Caleb runs after him. Thomasin is thrown from the horse she was riding on and when she awakes Caleb is nowhere to be found.
When Caleb returns he is naked and under a spell. At one point, his mouth will not open and when William and Katherine pry it open a full rotten apple rolls out of it.
Mercy and Jonas tell their parents that all the paranormal events were caused by Thomasin. William forces Thomasin to kneel before him and say that she loves the lord and believes in the bible. She complies but Katherine and William are not convinced.
When the twins begin to convulse, Thomasin says that it is they and not she who are bewitched and brings up Black Phillip.
Unsure of what to believe, William locks the children in a barn together.
Soon, all becomes clear as the family suffers more losses.
THE WITCH is best described as CARRIE (1976) meeting AN AMERICAN HAUNTING (2005). It’s certainly worth the watch. I think the ending would have had a stronger impact if a different avenue was explored. It’s understandable however, if Eggers was following writings of that time and wanted to follow the story as first relayed.
SPOILERS:
It’s impossible to discuss the different conclusions without revealing the ending itself. THE WITCH ends after Thomasin’s entire family is dead. She goes to Black Phillip and asks for him to talk to her. The goat turns into a man and advises her to take off her clothes. She follows direction and he leads her to a group of witches. In a very cool scene, the witches are seen rising from the ground and floating. Thomasin joins them realizing it’s her fate to give in to the witchcraft.
Overall, the ending was satisfying, but it could have been better. I would have loved to see Thomasin join the witches prior to her entire family being killed. Thomas is coming of age in the film and actually gets her first period. This is explored in depth and is the reason, I presume, the film waited until she was all alone before giving in. If, however, Thomasin was faced with a real choice, THE WITCH would have an entirely different tone.
Picture a scene where the witches attack the family and William sees his daughter floating above him. Another thought is an attack on the plantation itself. William and Katherine discuss going back repeatedly. Had that happened, seeing the witches attack everyone and Thomasin deciding to join them would have definitely give the horror fans something to cheer for. It also would have focused more on Thomasin coming into womanhood.
As a woman, seeing strong female characters that are realistic is important. Kate Dickie portrays a powerful matriarch who though follows her husband does now bow down to his every request, and even fights with him when necessary.
Thomasin being young and inexperienced submits and follows. She does as told until there’s no one left to give orders. Even though Black Phillip gives her a choice, the alternative is starving to death or trying to go back to the plantation herself.
If she chose to turn her back on Christianity and join the coven without much pressure, it turns her from a weak child to a strong woman. It would show her no longer needing the approval of her father, not because he was dead, but because she chose a different path. Whether seeing her as a villain or a heroine, is relative. One can argue the many atrocities caused by Christianity outweighs anything that witchcraft reportedly was responsible for.
It goes without saying that no one can defend killing a baby and bathing in its blood. It’s a cool visual and it makes it clear that the witches are the bad guys, but the film is truly deeper than just that. There is a level of repression within Christianity that is explored both in depth and subtly. That alone makes the freedom of the alternative appealing. To have Thomasin give herself over without loss or a masculine entity seducing her would have been a powerful statement. Seeing Thomasin engage in the power and freedom she’s been missing would have made perfect sense, especially with the criticism she faced from her family.
That isn’t to say that the ending was bad. It wasn’t. Again, it had cool visuals and if taken from historical accounts and folklore, it makes sense.
END OF SPOILERS
I highly suggest this movie. It’s something to watch more than once and definitely with stir conversation with whomever you watch it with. When taking in account how much research Eggers did for this film, it makes the overall production more fascinating. It will also lead the more OCD and compelled viewers to find the accounts Eggers refers to.
The acting is topnotch. Everyone did an amazing job. That said, the standout was Kate Dickie. She was able to portray a strong matriarch in the 1630s, believably! Katherine’s mental downfall and destruction, as her children die, is brilliant. Even when she turns on her husband and daughter, the viewer can’t help but sympathize. We understand her grief and the test of her faith as it is something that transcends time.
At one point, a broken Katherine tells William that she can’t find Jesus. Despite one’s religion, any viewer can empathize with that feeling. It’s the reason relationships break-up and divorces occur. When a person feels so close to someone that it’s almost as though their soul lives inside yours is powerful. It’s a tragedy when that bond ends abruptly.
Dickie says everything with emotion and the way in which she says the dialogue brings the viewer right in and keeps them in the film throughout the running time. Her delivery made my heart hurt for Katherine at times.
As Katherine completely loses it, one is sadder for her, rather than angry that she turned on her daughter.
Anyone remotely interested in witchcraft, American history, New England history or those who find Salem MA a fun vacation spot, will enjoy this immensely. My husband and I had our honeymoon in Salem so I may be a little bias, as I find that time in history absolutely intriguing and engaging. THE WITCH was done very well and very respectfully.
Scared Stiff Rating: 8/10
