The Witch (2016 horror film)

Funny, this thread should pop up now. I bought the blu-ray a year ago or whenever it came out and finally watched it last weekend. I still don't know what to make of it. I do wish I'd watched it with the subtitles on. I didn't find it all that scary or disturbing but I admire the way they adhered to contemporary speech based on writings and journals. I'll revisit it again eventually, but it wasn't all that it was cracked up to be, IMO.

 

Just watched this on Amazon Prime and loved it. Scary in the best possible way, slow boil but with an initial shock to let you know that there is really something out there to be scared of.

Great acting all around, I don't know how they got the twins to be both annoying but disturbing at the same time. A very disturbing film. I plan to watch it again. Did not see that particular ending coming.

I showed my wife the peek-a-boo scene and she ran from the room cursing. Too bad they showed that in the trailers. I thought that a very good set piece.

I am glad I read some of the posts above, did not think of the possible final disposition of the twins in that way.

 

i loved this movie. while it was hard to understand at points, i seriously appreciated the attention to period detail. it was quite scary.

 

Yes, I agree the thick accents might have been toned down just a bit. Amazon Prime does not have subtitles (I think ?) so I had to stop and jump back a few times to catch some dialogue.

But this movie gave me one thing I am always looking for now: the chance to see something different that I haven't seen before. Well done, but I can see that it is not for everyone.

 

Amazon Prime does have a subtitles option. I watched the movie last night (again) and it helped.

 

Thanks, I will look for the subtitle option. I stream out of an old Sony BR and the built in Amazon app looks much more primitive than what I have seen in other people's houses with newer machines. I will look again.

 

Subtitles required, in my opinion. I tried it without and didn't make it 10 minutes. Once I had them on, I did appreciate the language used - it's fascinating and adds a lot to the film. I liked the film itself a LOT, though I would have omitted the last few minutes. I think the "big reveal" and Thomasin's choice were perfect without what happened afterward.

 

Not sure I understand. Where would you have stopped the movie?

 

I think he’s saying the dancing around the fire, naked women, and elevation scene was probably not necessary. I’d agree. I’m no prude, but the end felt a tad exploitive and not integral to the wrap up.

 

SPOILER

Yes, this was what I was referring to - I didn't want to spoil anything. I didn't feel it was exploitative, just unnecessary. It would have been perfect to end it when she decides to sign.

 

Spoiler: more spoilage - properly formatted

ok, I think I figured out how to use spoiler feature. I wanted to add that the ending as it is does include an answer to the fate of the family twins, but you would never know it unless you really know your witch lore - as I understand it, the twins are in that giant bonfire in the woods. Sacrificing them in this way is what allows the witches to "fly" as shown. I feel sure that basically no one got this (including me) without reading about the movie on the internet later

 

Nice! I didn't get that, and wouldn't have without it being pointed out. I really like the final scene and was glad it was there even before this detail. I thought it was a great, chilling visual and audio cue to end with.

 

This was my main complaint, that the score went over the top a few times and could have been more subtle in a few places. Other than that, though, I liked it from beginning to end. Beautifully shot and very unsettling, and I had no problem understanding the dialogue.

 

A movie that’s been out for almost three years I don’t feel I need to give spoiler alerts. Something in the theater or just out, that’s different.

 

I liked the end of this movie.
I rather thought that what the daughter saw probably was not what was actually there or happening.
Just like her mother breastfeeding what she thought was her infant.
Ancient scripture has the devil as the father of lies.

 

What does it mean to "live deliciously"?

 

Decadent. Or what passed for decadent at the time, as in enjoying butter. They made a point of having Thomasin reminisce about their life in England when they weren't roughing it so much. She talked wistfully about the beautiful stained glass windows they used to have. I'm sure "live deliciously" goes beyond rich food and pretty windows, but the point was a rejection of the austere life her parents thrust on her.

 

That conversation may be one of the greatest scenes in horror movie history,.

 

I liked the ending, too. It's especially more potent with the "fate of the twins" angle. How can you not have a witch movie without a bonfire and naked witches around it? It's as symbolic of everything pagan as the whole rest of the movie was symbolic about Christianity and The Devil; as well as, the whole underlying theme of Thomasin growing into a woman and not repressing her sexuality.

 

I too watched it on amazon prime and I dug it. I watch a lot of scary movies, just finished seeing A Quiet Place, and I liked The Witch. Kind of unique I thought. the Black Ram as a demon or the devil himself, was a good choice.

 

Except it wasn't symbolic at all - quite literal.

 

By fleeing civilization, the family had to produce their own food. They most certainly did not do a good job and the crops were starting to rot. The director shows this. So a mix of starvation-based hallucinations and ergot/fungus-based visions are certainly part of the story. Ergot, BTW, is where we get our LSD. Was the family tripping? Perhaps some of the time. Was Thomasin tripping when she saw the Devil at the end, sold her soul, and wandered into the woods? I sorta think so, but there's plenty of room for ambiguity.

 

i thought it was magnificent, went into it blind and enjoyed it completely, i want to re-watch now after reading this thread

 

Me too - NOTE: currently a free stream for Amazon Prime members

 

Interesting about the crops and the rot, but the movie makes it quite clear that Sam is stolen by the witch. That wasn’t a hallucination. The rest? Quite possibly, but it’s not as simple as “family leaves community, food goes bad and everybody trips out”.