By Ben Bussey
Expectations are a tricky beast indeed. As I remarked in my earlier Celluloid Screams 2015 review of the wonderful He Never Died, very often the joy of the festival experience is going in with little to no prior knowledge or expectation and encountering something brilliant, and knowing you’re among the first to come into contact with it. However, there also tend to be on the festival circuit films which build intense early word of mouth – sometimes based on earlier screenings, sometimes on shrewd marketing (or more than likely a combination thereof) – which ensure that later festival screenings are feverishly anticipated. Such was the case this year with The Witch, a film whose buzz was so strong that the Celluloid Screams screening was among the few at the festival to be completely sold out. Expectations, naturally, were high.
I think you realise there’s a ‘however’ coming now. However… it’s not so much a criticism of the film itself as it is a reminder (as much to myself as any reader) that we need to keep expectations in check, particularly where heavy hype is concerned.
Let there be no mistake here – The Witch is a very good film. I can say that with no hesitation whatsoever. It’s bold, unconventional, atmospheric, well-acted, and builds up a fascinating story world with a tremendous sense of mystery – and it’s made all the more impressive for being the feature debut of writer-director Robert Eggers. As to whether it really is the instant classic game changer that a lot of the early word has made it out to be – I have to say no, I really don’t think so. At the risk of sounding pompous and self-important (who, me?), I can’t help but suspect a lot of the praise thrown at The Witch, declaring it one of the very best horror films of recent years if not all time, comes from people who perhaps don’t watch that much new horror. Yes, it’s compelling and involving, and keeps you gripped from beginning to end – but I can’t honestly say I found it that scary. And if we’re talking in terms of something being a new horror classic, there’s no denying that this is a very significant concern. The Witch is tense, atmospheric and mysterious, for sure – but truly chilling and unnerving? To my mind, no. And as such I struggle to reconcile The Witch with the intense buzz surrounding it.
And this – again, I say as much to myself as any reader – is a shame, as the last thing I want to do is suggest The Witch is by any means a disappointment. I just think there’s a real danger of it falling victim to its own hype, and leaving expectant audiences underwhelmed. On a related note, I struggle to see it winning over the multiplex masses once it gets a wide release in 2016, much as It Follows didn’t quite meet expectations on its theatrical run earlier this year. Given the period setting, the unusual accents (a mongrel Northern English/first generation American of a sort we don’t tend to hear in the movies) and the lack of clear answers, I rather doubt your casual Friday night cinemagoers are going to do anything but laugh dismissively and check their phones mid-movie to find out when the next found footage movie comes out.
More discerning viewers, however, will find a great deal to appreciate. Eggers paints a fascinating portrait of a devoutly Christian couple (Ralph Ineson and Kate Dickie, both superb) whose faith borders on the fanatical, who are banished from their home after condemning their community for not following the Gospel closely enough. Naturally our assumption with such figures is that they will prove cruel and puritanical, making life a living hell for their unfortunate children – but curiously it’s quite the opposite. While their solitary existence out on the edge of the woods is clearly far from idyllic, the family for the most part seem happy, truly drawing strength from their faith and from one another. However, this is sorely tested when – in one of the most effectively sinister moments, featured in the trailer – their newborn baby suddenly vanishes whilst in the care of eldest daughter Thomasin (Anya Taylor-Joy). Grief, mistrust and other underlying tensions slowly but surely pile up, and when filtered through their faith there is soon very real fear that the devil may be among the family. Sounds like religious paranoia, you may say – but then, it seems that there is indeed someone or something in the woods watching them.
Any story set in 17th century New England involving a witch panic will invariably evoke Arthur Miller’s The Crucible, as well as the oft-neglected folk horror wave exemplified by Witchfinder General and The Blood on Satan’s Claw. The Witch stands apart from these in its understatement. There’s a muted quality to the whole movie, from the restrained performances, the dull colour scheme, and the generally soft soundtrack. As such, when the drama heightens the shift in volume is certainly striking, but even so Eggers and company keep from lapsing into melodrama, even in the more outlandish and surreal moments which leave the viewer questioning what has truly occurred: questions which, as previously stated, The Witch does not provide easy answers to.
One key player to garner particular praise has been Anna Taylor-Joy, and quite deservedly so. While The Witch is very much an ensemble piece with excellent performances all around – younger actors Harvey Scrimshaw, Lucas Dawson and Ellie Grainger are all terrific as well – it’s Taylor-Joy who winds up the ostensible lead as the eldest daughter who comes under suspicion of witchcraft by her family. While a lot of the attention she’s received is clearly down to her striking looks (also, it’s implied, a factor in the suspicion around her), Taylor-Joy really does tremendous work in a challenging role, and not unlike her writer-director it’s all the more impressive given it’s her first film role. If nothing else, I was astonished to learn she’s American by birth given how well she manages the curious accent. Young actresses don’t always get roles this good, particularly in horror, and I trust if Taylor-Joy does have a future in the genre that the roles she has ahead of her will measure up to this one.
When all this much about The Witch is praiseworthy, is it really so shameful that, to my mind at least, it lacks real terror? Perhaps; perhaps not. Certainly I’m pleased that it doesn’t concede to audience expectation and go with the cheap jump scare approach, which it might easily have done. Despite my complaints, I’m well aware that horror can be utilised to many more ends than simply being a bit scary; The Witch sets out to tell a compelling story of a family in crisis, and it does so brilliantly. All things considered, this is still without a doubt one of the best films of 2015. As to whether it’s a horror classic for the ages – time will tell. But I’d recommend you don’t go into it expecting quite that much.