Movie Reaction: The Witch

Formula: Under the Skin + The Crucible

Cast: I didn't recognize anyone in this movie. The cast is almost entirely limited to the main family: Father (Ralph Ineson), mother (Kate Dickie), oldest daughter (Anya Taylor-Joy) - the lead, oldest son (Harvey Scrimshaw), and twins (Ellie Grainger and Lucas Dawson).

Plot: A devout christian family in New England in the early 1600s becomes the target of a witch in the woods.

Thoughts:
I've been looking forward to seeing this movie for over a year, since it debuted at Sundance in 2014. It was worth the wait. The whole movie looks great and does a lot with the 1630s Massachusetts setting. The entire cast does a great job, considering how much of the movie requires them to, essentially, overact. As the the most experienced actors, it's no surprise that Ineson and Dickie as the parents do the best work. Ineson is barely keeping it together throughout, whereas Dickie is grieving the whole time.
Writer/Director Robert Eggers isn't concerned with spoon-feeding the audience information. A good deal of the discovery throughout the movie is figuring out things like what the significance of selling a silver cup are or when something that sounds like a joke would actually be taken seriously by the other characters.
My worry about the movie is also my favorite thing about it. This isn't a scary movie in the traditional sense. It's not about jump-scares or gross-out images. Instead, it's about the rising tension. There's a dread throughout. The kind that will linger with me for a while. I was reminded a lot of Under the Skin. I loved how that movie kept collecting dark imagery and disturbing scenes until it ended, then left it on the audience to decide what to do with that unsettling feeling leftover. The reason I worry about this is that if you go in expecting something bigger, it could be very disappointing.

Elephant in the Room: What does a 1600s accent sound like? These are English settlers. Part of my comment about Eggers not spoon-feeding the audience goes toward the dialogue. It's English but not always clear. I'd probably turn the subtitles on if I was watching it at home.

To Sum Things Up:  
I really enjoyed The Witch, although its real power will be gauged by if I'm still thinking about it a few weeks from now. It's a hauntingly pretty movie with a range of performances. I can't promise that you'll be scared, but you will be alarmed.

Verdict (?): Strongly Recommend