The Witch

GENERAL INFORMATION
Release Info: 19 February 2016
Running Time: 92 Minutes
Staring:  Anya Taylor-Joy, Ralph Ineson, Kate Dickie, Etc...
Rating? R
SPOILERS? YES

REVIEWS
IMDB: 7.5 of 10
MY RATING: 5

STORYLINE

New England, 1630: William and Katherine lead a devout Christian life, homesteading on the edge of an impassible wilderness, with five children. When their newborn son mysteriously vanishes and their crops fail, the family begins to turn on one another. 'The Witch' is a chilling portrait of a family unraveling within their own fears and anxieties, leaving them prey for an inescapable evil.

MY REVIEW:
I'd start by saying the movie was not what the trailer lead me to believe. This is not as much about scary moments or jump scare and more about a family coping with a lost child, and the movie trying to build suspense and just make the viewer feel uncomfortable. Because of this, I can see why some people will see it as really slow with not much happening.

Some PLUSES for me: - Anya Taylor-Joy (the older daughter) is amazing in this movie and I also think Ralph Ineson (the father) did a good job. - the score is really good, there are periods of intense silence and periods of creepy music at just the right times to build tension - the cinematography with nice wide shots combined with the score works really well in most moments. I am a HUGE fan of the “Bad Guy Wins” idea of movies.

For the MINUSES: - I felt like the other child's acting was pretty bad and over the top and just took me out of the movie in most scenes where they are the focus (thankfully there were not THAT many) - a bit too slow of a pacing during the first half even for my taste

So, just like I said in the title, KNOW WHAT YOU'RE GETTING INTO. If you go and expect your typical horror movie with jump scares and a hidden 'baddie' slowly revealing itself along the movie in scary scenes, THIS IS NOT IT. This is mostly a family drama that tries to build suspense and make the viewer feel uneasy.

Good, not great.

On a personal note: This week was my last week working at ADS. It was a long 8 years and I will truly miss all of my friends!! Last night, a large group of usual went out for drinks. I love this picture of me and my Jeff's from the office. I was only missing one of the 4 and I am so glad that they were there! I will miss having the Jeff's and always having to stop in a conversation and say whether it was about Jeff M., Jeff G. or Jeff W.! Let's be honest, it was usually about Jeff M.! I love that I had over 40 people come out on a school night to wish me well! It'll be a huge change for me. The best part is that I am literally moving to the building across the street! (Like 200 yards!)