Five-Legged Iguana

¡QUÉ HORROR! 2016

Candidate #11

THE WITCH

(January 2015)

"O God, my Lord, I now begin,
O help me and I'll leave my sin.

For I, repentant now shall be,

From evil I will turn to Thee.

None ever shall destroy my faith,

Nor do I mind what Satan saith.”

Writer/director Robert Eggers’ feature debut, The Witch (or, The VVitch: A New-England Folktale, if thou preferest) is an astounding piece of period horror.

“Inspired”--as the film tells us at its climax--“by many folktales, fairytales and written accounts of historical witchcraft, including journals, diaries and court records,” The Witch follows the travails of a family living on the edge of a deep, dark wood, beset by misery and sinister occurrences.

“Black Phillip, Black Phillip,

King of sky and land.

Black Phillip, Black Phillip,

King of sea and sand.

“We are ye servants,

We are ye men.

Black Phillip eats the lions

From the lions’ den.”

Though most everything in The Witch is noteworthy (including Craig Lathrop’s production design, Jarin Blaschke’s  cinematography, and Mark Korven’s creeptastic score), the film’s casting should not be overlooked, particularly, the fact that the only readily recognizable genre face here is Kate Dickie.*

Suspension of disbelief is always a sight easier when the screen isn’t filled with Hollywood names. And if you love your horror--and treasure the lingering echoes of eeriness left behind by a tale of dread well told--then this is a story you’ll definitely want to get sucked into without any distractions.

“Wouldst thou like to live deliciously?”

(The Witch OS’ courtesy of impawards.com & hcgart.com.)

* At least, to me.

I imagine some Harry Potter fans may recognize Ralph Ineson, who, like Dickie, also appeared on Game of Thrones. I, however, was never a Potter fan, and for the life of me, cannot recall who GoT’s “Dagmer Cleftjaw” is, nor what he looked like…