I caught director Robert Eggers debut feature at TIFF back in September and even then the hype for the film had remained at something of a fever pitch since its debut at the Sundance Film Festival earlier in the year. While my expectations might have played a role, I came out of the film somewhat disappointed in the product as it was certainly an interesting experience, but ultimately hadn't lived up to what the hype promised. This is no fault of the films, but on a basic level of film criticism The Witch is essentially a well crafted horror film with an aesthetic and mood that is undeniable, but a story that doesn't connect on the creepy levels as consistently as it should. Given the many promising factors of the film this was a let down, but even I will give the film credit for really going for it when it does indeed decide to go for it. I am interested to see the film again, but this time with leveled expectations. After all, it was my fourth and final film of the day when I saw it originally and I was more than a little exhausted, so there certainly stands a chance I will like it much more upon repeat viewings. As for this new trailer, studio A24 certainly knows how to sell its product for despite knowing what happens in the film this minute and a half clip still gave me chills. I am anxious to see the general audience response to the film and if they come out pleased as so many scary movies are nothing short of crap this time of year. Despite the fact I didn't outright love the film I'm still rooting for it and hope that Eggers is given prime opportunities in its wake as he certainly knows how to put together an effective atmosphere and will only get better at executing story through that atmosphere as he garners more experience. The Witch stars Anya Taylor-Joy, Ellie Grainger, Harvey Scrimshaw, Katie Dickie, Lucas Dawson, Ralph Ineson, and opens nationwide on February 19, 2016.
Synopsis: In this exquisitely made and terrifying new horror film, the age-old concepts of witchcraft, black magic and possession are innovatively brought together to tell the intimate and riveting story of one family’s frightful unraveling in the New England wilderness circa 1630. New England, 1630. Upon threat of banishment by the church, an English farmer leaves his colonial plantation, relocating his wife and five children to a remote plot of land on the edge of an ominous forest – within which lurks an unknown evil. Strange and unsettling things begin to happen almost immediately – animals turn malevolent, crops fail, and one child disappears as another becomes seemingly possessed by an evil spirit. With suspicion and paranoia mounting, family members accuse teenage daughter Thomasin of witchcraft, charges she adamantly denies. As circumstances grow more treacherous, each family member’s faith, loyalty and love become tested in shocking and unforgettable ways. Writer/director Robert Eggers’ debut feature, which premiered to great acclaim at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival – winning the Best Director Prize in the U.S. Narrative Competition – painstakingly recreates a God-fearing New England decades before the 1692 Salem witch trials, in which religious convictions tragically turned to mass hysteria. Told through the eyes of the adolescent Thomasin – in a star-making turn by newcomer Anya Taylor-Joy – and supported by mesmerizing camera work and a powerful musical score, THE WITCH is a chilling and groundbreaking new take on the genre.
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