The Witch reviewed by Mark Kermode

[@DamienHurts]

out with cheap horror movies, in with real terrifying quality horror films again

[@Topnomad]

yes Damian, we could get high and watch movies every week

[@joeschmoe3665]

Yepp which is almost exclusively atmospheric and psychological

[@atomsmasha]

I'm fine with both. Like a mixed dieted of healthy food and occasional junk.

[@dennett316]

It's an unsettling and creepy movie, not a typical jump-scare fest. Some of the imagery in this made my skin crawl just by imagining myself seeing it, and being in the same room as it. Great performances from everyone in the cast, even the child actors.

[@ruchpat1]

The child acting was actually a good note to add because it was uncanny how important their roles where to the plot

[@Rasbiff]

"The film is about projected ideas, it's about paranoias and phobias." Am I the only one who thinks that this is *not* what the movie is about? What I found so striking about the movie is that I felt it 100% accepted and embraced the very ideas that the people in it believed in. I felt that I was completely detached from my 21st century rational and scientific worldview and had to accept a 17th century one where Satan is very real and dwells in the unbaptized child, the animals, and the untamed wilderness. The movie deals with paranoia extensively, but always within a 17th century context: "Is this really Satan, or are we only working ourselves up?" Never is it suggested that Satan *doesn't* exist, only that he might *not* be the antagonist underneath the conflict after all. Having read history, I was also delighted at how accurately the film actually does capture the way people thought, their worldview, their fears and their hopes of this time. Everything from the fear of the untamed nature, the obsession with constant self-reflection and self-improvement, the religious zeal, to the relationship within a family and even between the humans of a farm and their animals. Besides, the scene that shows the witch in the beginning clearly butcher Sam and turn him into ointment was - at least to me - the "proof" the film gave me that witches and black magic *are* real in this movie.

[@zeecoproductions]

Nailed it 🐐

[@rabbitandcrow]

Yes, I loved the fact that the extreme puritanism was taken very seriously. If you have any hope of surviving in such a harsh landscape, thousands of miles from home, that fervent believe in a God who leaves no room for error is essential. Their faith, the very thing that saves them and gives them strength, is also the thing that unwinds them. The movie is a tragedy. It's about human frailty combined with the desperate human need for connection to a higher power.

[@helmutsecke3529]

ruthmeb Oh aye, ol Macca were a good ‘un.

[@Rasbiff]

@Withnail there's a Swedish trilogy that explores the 17th century through following one man (a military engineer) by the name of Erik Dahlbergh. The books are called "ofredsår" and "den oövervinnerlige", the author is Peter Englund.

[@critter1388]

i know im six years late but i agree 100%. this also tracks imo given how seriously Eggers handles mythological aspects in The Northman (amleth really believes in valhalla and really encounters supernatural draugers, valkyries etc). The movie works as a story about how an isolated, flawed family is driven to destruction by malevolent forces pressuring those flaws. Sure there is some ambiguity but reducing it to another story railing against religion or "the corn fungus made them hallucinate, actually" undercuts it and reduces it as a self described folk tale.

[@kelman727]

Nice to see Northern speech as the norm in a major film. It is a pleasant change.

[@PrinceZappa]

One does not simply walk into Mordor with a northern accent.

[@usxnews1834]

thank you kelmn

[@whobootlegs5825]

Finchy can do no wrong.

[@andygrimshaw7464]

Ralph Ineson good Leeds lad

[@lw3646]

I think Game of Thrones helped popularise it a bit.

[@charliepanayiotou4305]

I wouldn't say it was super scary but it was creepy as hell. In a way it's less of a horror film and more a study in seeing a family fall apart. The actors are all fantastic.

[@andrewhussey4538]

I kind of saw it more as a tragedy in almost a Shakespearian sense, it has horror ELEMENTS to it to be sure and it's sense of foreboding is palpable, but that all is framing a familial tragedy story in the vein of Oedipus Rex or something

[@twot2224]

@@andrewhussey4538 Isn't this the case for most great horror movies though? I can't think of any good horror movie that is purely horror in the way I think you're eluding to.

[@andrewhussey4538]

@@twot2224 yeah, I find a lot of it has to do with intent...I mean, I would consider the evil dead trilogy (particularly the first) to be among the greats but it really never aims to BE anything more, it's a schlock, funny horror comedy. I'd also put some of the earlier of genres in there, Halloween for example is pretty classic. That tends to be more about touching some innate, primal feeling than telling a story. The trouble comes when horror (or anything) starts trying to do something a bit more complex, conveying a philosophical point or breaking through that primal instinct fear and crossing into your consciousness a bit more...it's a balancing act, get too abstract and the intent gets lost...lose your sense of submersion in the story and the intent, again gets lost...when it's done right though, the witch, the babadook, the wailing cronenbergs work in the 70s and 80s like the fly or the brood or video videodrome and it hits all the marks just right and sticks with you. Don't get me wrong, I love schlock as much as the next guy but when it's done right horror really becomes almost intertwined with tragedy on a quantum level...

[@JSCwrd]

Why does it being a study in seeing a family fall apart preclude it from being a horror film, which it clearly is?

[@jameslamprell4189]

The witch is obviously a masterpiece, the best horror movie to come along in years and years.

[@ZPSBestProfileName]

You are braindead.

[@natturn-her5050]

Obviously? lol I love it but obviously

[@heirrose1606]

The entire theater I was in erupted in laughter when Philip spoke. I think maybe you have to be raised religious for it to have any impact.

[@Pados_music]

@@heirrose1606 As a non religious person i find the movie fascinating. It had it's flows but in the begining we read that is based on stories from that era. So what did the entire theatre expected? discussion about the evolution of spieces and the big bang? Some idiots go the the cinemas and they want to see the same and same rubbish, that's not a flow of the movie.

[@lewis821]

@@heirrose1606this is a strange take. i imagine that audiences reaction is more due to a reluctance to engage with the material in an intelligent way, as many expected this film to be your typical horror slop.

[@BIGTENFanatic]

This film is a horror masterpiece

[@Topnomad]

probably is

[@sellingacoerwa8318]

It's got a similar vibe to the Shining. No small thing

[@beatweezl]

Right next to The Shining. Will be hard to surpass.

[@MLElf]

StoneCold316 I wish I agreed, I want to like it more :/

[@TheNervousnation]

fact

[@SpecialAgentBillMaxwell]

37 people did not live deliciously.

[@lucyfurr3064]

Up to 39 now, oh well.... Sucks for them huh??!? ; ) Boom, boom......

[@whobootlegs5825]

Just reading this gave me big chills.

[@larissaeverleigh3332]

Now 45, poor things

[@JeffCirillo]

@@larissaeverleigh3332 45 what?

[@carolcyr8553]

@@JeffCirillo I think they're referring to the fact that KZbin used to list how many people had given a video a thumbs down. So 45 people, at the time larissaeverleigh3332 wrote her comment, had given this video a thumbs down. That's my guess.

[@lukemurphy6244]

I didn't really get a hallucination vibe off of it, except when the mother is quite obviously hallucinating in one scene. Which was mental btw. Love this film, I was beaming after I watched it. Great!

[@JamesJacksonJnr]

I felt so grateful to have watched this. Unsettling and simple. Incredible movie.

[@haydengilbert6317]

I loved the film. It amazes me that this guy's debut can look and feel as good as a Bergman film. But, personally, I feel that there is no question as to whether the supernatural presence is real or not. From the beginning we are given a scene from a baby's perspective and unless that baby understands what witches are and hallucinates what its family hallucinates, I think it is safe to say the evil in this film is real. That is one of the reasons I applaud the film as much as I do.

[@vardothefirst]

+Hayden Gilbert I've been seeing a lot of positive feedback on this film, even though I never heard of it or its director before. But now you've mentioned Bergman... My expectation's increased by times!

[@joshdea7]

Good film. Unfortunately the audience I was with hated it. But I thought it was the best horror film I've seen in a while.

[@thehitherto5348]

+Josh Deaton I've heard about these negative reactions as well and I suspect it's because horror movie audiences nowdays expect things to jump at them every second. There's no patience any longer.

[@joshdea7]

Yeah it is a small film being marketed as a big mainstream film.

[@andrewm6244]

People are morons

[@arby456]

SPOILERS I didn't get the induced hallucination angle at all from this movie. For me, everything that happens is very literal. The witches are real, the devil is real etc. and the family turns on itself because of their fear of this evil.

[@blahblahblahblahbla2705]

Hmm. You are right. You are also wrong. Crazy, I know.

[@Dustin_N]

Their corn was infested with argot that causes intense hallucinations

[@dahuka]

IMO, that they believe it to be real is all that matters. Whether it happens literally in the universe of the movie is beside the point (to them) and part of the point of the film, if that makes sense.

[@davidlean1060]

well, if you were to ask someone with Schizophrenia they would tell you their hallucinations are 'real'. That is how you think of it I think. Think of how matter of factly the twins in The Shining appear..no fan fare, just two girls appearing in a door way.

[@beatweezl]

I am OBSESSED with this movie. It just boggles my mind how some people can't see the brilliance of this film.

[@chippsymcstagger4571]

It's because it's not an easy watch. When I first saw it in the cinema I couldn't decide whether I liked it or hated it. I ended up watching it again and the more I thought about it the more I loved it. Great cinema isn't easy. It should challenge you. It should make you think. That's why this movie is a classic.

[@brendandarkside1207]

Understated visuals. The "devil" is as understated as "christ" and that's the key. All the kids hate the Christ in the end whether they like it or not. Caleb definitely goes to the devil's lap and who can blame him with that performance (I reckon that's the documented testimony mentioned in the credits it's so moving)

[@lukepalmer4200]

Had walkouts and giggles during my showing. Personally loved it, wasn't scary as such, but completely unsettled me throughout, really refreshing to have a film that didn't play on the usual tropes of horror films.

[@matchesmalone2625]

I saw this on Saturday. once the credits started to roll a couple guys stood up and said the movie sucked. I liked it a lot. sort of the same style as babadook, in terms of telling a good story first and it's more creepy than scary. I really enjoyed it.

[@honlee5705]

The enthusiasm or level of knowledge articulated from this guy is immense!!!

[@RyanKhanna]

I loved every element of the film. It's a shame that a lot of people hate it, especially when films like The Shining (which is a masterpiece) gets more recognition for being amazing than a film like this which is on the same level. I feel like if this was marketed as a drama, then people wouldn't be all upset that it wasn't scary and was slow. To me, it's still a horror movie, but overall, I guess people were expecting "Jump Scares 237: LOUD NOISES".

[@kjmmxii123]

+Ryan Khanna I mainly agree with you - with regards to The Shining though, it did take a few years for that film's reputation to grow in stature, The Witch only came out today.

[@horrorstateofmind2724]

The shining is also a movies that today's generation doesn't get it.

[@EstParum]

The witch is another Jump Scare slasher in the bunch. Everyone gets killed off. Jumpscares. Bad acting. I dont see what others deem it as great as the Shining or Exorcist or such.

[@raggedbreath]

@@horrorstateofmind2724 don't make generalizations

[@themac3116]

It really is great.

[@ClamBuster4]

The Witch, The Babadook, and yes, It Follows... have all been absolute masterclasses in psychological dread and paranoia horror over the last couple of years. i'm sorry, but you can keep your Paranormal Activity's, Sinister's, and The Conjuring's... they're horror movies for amateurs

[@jpobrien2123]

I'm sorry, but all six of the movies you mentioned are actually very very good

[@IKIGAIofficial]

babadook is my favorite! on par with the shining for me.

[@aimeemacdn]

Babadook was brilliant for me. Mental illness related to grief.

[@fikretsezginayabakan9802]

@ClamBuster4 the babadook is hideous that reveals everything right in the beginning of the film. it is badly written that its sub-plots lead absolute nowhere, they add nothing to the story and both of the actors just overact. it follows was ok however they couldn't even establish the rules of it follows, sometimes it follows but sometimes it stops and stares. the conjuring is still one of true horror films.

[@ionutcostei3726]

Kyle McLachlan What are those missteps of Hereditary that you’re talking about ?

[@BlakeJAskew]

I found it really creepy. Especially the end with Black Philip

[@alikazerani]

His voice was glorious.

[@andrewm6244]

@@alikazerani evil manipulation, sinister sorcery, and murder? Nah. ASMR of the devil please

[@jumbo4billion]

I think the moral was that if you are more uptight than a town of puritans, you are most likely screwed.

[@Dave-qj1yg]

When horror becomes terror. Those 2 shots of her, her old chubby flesh hunched over, as if she came crawling out of a Goya painting. Just brilliant.

[@MinervasPallas]

The goat on two legs... that scene has become stuck in my mind and is utterly horrifying... superb film.

[@affalaffaa]

Enjoyed it. Gave a sense of the paranoia surrounding religion and witchcraft at the time. Could see how easy it would be to point and say 'She's a witch!' Scary. I also like Mark' ergot theory as well.

[@OrderRealm]

The way the witches laugh is so loud and isolated, as if i were in the shack, still shakes me inside today.

[@NoStyleDutch]

It’s a shame how many people will say a horror movie “sucks” because it lacks the quiet-quiet-quiet-bang scares. Too me a horror movie is effective if I believe the characters are scared and it creates the sense of creepiness and dread., if it manages to have some moments that make me jump that’s a bonus.

[@philipkilmartin2312]

The VVitch and Eraserhead are getting high rotation in my DVD player at the moment.

[@paolo1chop]

Chris Finch & Arsene Wenger live in a little cabin in the woods. The end.

[@Wilks363]

+paolo1chop Kept waitin for him to say "Pot Noodle and a W*nk"

[@MrRabbitportal]

I loved this film, had so much symbolism and intelligence . Double bill of this and anti christ .

[@LeBabbleRabble]

I disagree with you about hallucination and paranoia. What I liked about The Witch is that the film didn't suggest the supernatural or hinted that there was perhaps a terrible mundane answer to the awfulness. Instead, the supernatural is real, the devil is really out there in the woods preying on any weakness it can find in the pure Christian heart. Too many horror movies that aren't wink-wink, nudge-nudge try to make the audience unsure about the validity of the supernatural. The Witch doesn't do that. There is a witch.

[@ericleon3399]

or maybe just shows our own wickedness when left alone lol

[@blahblahblahblahbla2705]

But where and who is it. You are underestimating yourself, this film, and the "true" Which.

[@aliensoup2420]

What is the significance and meaning behind the double "VV" instead of a W in the title.

[@kilroyrichard]

Reading some of the comments below about seeing the witch at the beginning and the lack of ambiguity, let's not forget the surprise ending which is also hinted at throughout the film. Seeing the witch at the beginning does not ruin anything of this element, and only helps to build it imho

[@RAWNLEY]

I still cannot believe this got a wide release in the US. I kick myself every day for not seeing it upon initial release...

[@eduardo_corrochio]

This was easily the best thriller of 2016, period. And there was not a slew of worthwhile fright flicks that year ... a scant handful at most. It's amazing how divided the viewers are about "The Witch", as if a percentage were expecting "Conjuring 5" (set in the seventeenth century). Mind you, I enjoy horror movies like "The Conjuring" and "Insidious" because they serve a purpose and they are fun; but "The Witch" is a piece of cinematic art that I will visit again and again. And I know it will get under my skin every time, like "The Shining" and "Rosemary's Baby" and "Alien".

[@Mr037rally]

Nice "Cattle prod jump scare's", how I love your vocabulary Mark. You are the film fans critic as your love for cinema always shines through.

[@corbelius6]

Great Movie, Great score that should have been given awards.

[@jsilence418]

Incredible film sets, acting dialogue etc .

[@lolwhatidk]

I dunno man that ending makes it pretty clear that it ain't no hallucination.

[@joneesmum477]

what, naked women floating around the treetops? Yea, it's an everyday spectacle down our way!

[@allornothing432]

Jonee's Mum But you can’t pass it off as simply a hallucination, they don’t work that way. I say this despite recognizing that everything that happens after she conjures Black Philip is almost word for word what she said to her little sister Mercy.

[@jamesmattey]

Literally just got back from seeing this movie. Truly creepy movie. I was really surprised by how the movie focused on religion so much but It ended being the most important part of the movie for me. I really appreciate how it keeps the premise simple and dosen't try and add loads of spectacle. Two couples left the cinema as I presume they expected to see a more shock horror movie like the new movie 'The Boy'. For people interesting in seeing this don;t expect a fast pace, scared filled movie, but rather a genuinely creepy movie that will stick with you.

[@JJJackson777]

surprisingly enough this film reminded me a lot of the shining, incredibly well paced, mysterious & somewhat hypnotising with an eery, paranormal, existential style of dread & the grief that brings. The scariest films are the ones where the characters are at the will of something unexplained & far greater than them (in my opinion).

[@circleofrage]

it strongly echoed ben wheatley's 'kill list' i thought. particularly in the slow impending pace coupled with the intense score.

[@politure]

Was thinking the same thing.

[@johnPaul-qn3dg]

Just rewatched this and I enjoyed it as much as I did when it first came out, this to me suggests it's a classic.

[@mrmashhead5089]

I didn’t get the vibe it was hinting at hallucination. It’s was folklore, as with all folklore it is written how it is read, a depiction of actual events.

[@helmutsecke3529]

Young Eggers must have been touched by Carl Th. Dreyer’s Vredens Dag (Day Of Wrath). I’m amazed no one’s brought this up.

[@MarkStark-dx9dm]

This is a wonderful movie.

[@Krankyoldtime64]

I've immersed myself in this film several times, and after each viewing I've felt that weird sense of wilderness claustrophobia. It's authentic in sound, colour and dialogue and with an undertow of genuine satanic terror. Like a living breathing Hieronymus Bosch triptych. It's a truly incredible piece of filmmaking, but don't let that fool you. This brilliantly nailed, folk-horror masterpiece will be studied and appreciated for many years to come.

[@mootpointmusic7627]

I'm surprised Mark didn't mention the script; I really thought it was exceptional. Maybe I don't watch enough film set in ye olden times but I was amazed at how authentic it sounded, it must have been difficult to both write and perform.

[@Garrett1240]

Robert Eggers lifted the dialogue and repurposed it into the script from various bits from diaries of 17th century Puritans.

[@_ginock_]

I plan to see this tomorrow and am really excited to see it. Everything about it makes me think I am going to love it.

[@booshist]

Perfect review, Mark Kermode really is the finest film critic ever. I love The Witch, it absolutely terrified me the first time I saw it. Brilliantly researched and performed . The dialogue really jolts your back and the atmosphere created simply heralded the emergence of a new and great talent in Robert Eggers who went on to direct the excellent The Lighthouse and will direct Nosferatu with Willem Dafoe as Orlock. Can’t wait

[@stuartburns8657]

This movie unsettled me like few others have.

[@lucifer-ic9th]

The Witch will soon be as classic and essential as The Shining

[@aazell]

Saw this last night... I don't think anyone ate any popcorn for the last 40 mins. I felt guilty when i rustled for a malteaser... seriously unnerving... but don't expect a traditional horror film. Took about 15 mins to tune my ear into the old english...

[@kernowarty]

This film is for mature adults who respect cinema as an art form. No wonder so many American meat heads walked out of it. I expect they thought they were going to see a variation of The Evil Dead.

[@headshot217]

Snobbiest comment award winner! congrats. Would take Evil Dead over this artsy snoozefest any day. The main goal of a movie is to be entertaining

[@kernowarty]

@@headshot217 Entertainment is subjective. There is high brow entertainment for discerning intellectuals and then there is the shouting, running, shooting and killing with lots of gore entertainment for the rest.

[@jillyb100]

Can't wait to see it.

[@lw3646]

Really good film, needs a few watches to take it all in actually, there's a lot of subtle foreshadowing.

[@rozwell37]

I had quite a lot of laughs in my screening which is a shame, I really enjoyed it.

[@MattA-nz9ze]

My absolute favourite horror film of all time- no other film has conveyed a sense of dread and paranoia like this, in such a subtle way, yet the film obviously had such an insidious nature and it was truly disturbing! This film is a goddamn masterpiece, and people who don't like it are clearly just not understanding what makes a movie scary. Terrifying, powerful, brilliant.

[@beatweezl]

100% Agree.

[@jumbo4billion]

Anyone who doesn't like what I like isn't as clever as me. Got it.

[@johnboy1536]

Call the cops, A fungus grows on rotten crops.

[@maryelephant940]

Er my got.

[@JG-nx3jg]

The moral i took home from this film was that if you can't beat em join em. Was kind of hoping chris finch would go into the woods to try and kill the witch but he was well and truly fooled by the sneaky Black Philip.

[@chrishiggins7166]

Director Robert Eggers’ directorial debut is realistically frightening, terrifically acted, stylish & is one of The 21st century’s best horror films. (97%) (5/5 stars) (positive)

[@glyph2011]

As per usual. Have to travel to A DIFFERENT CITY to watch this. Looking forward to it. Gah. 2 Cineworlds where I live and neither showing it. )-(

[@KronixBeats]

+glyph2011 Same here dude, Going to Birmingham on Sunday to see it.

[@ursulageorgeson7086]

If I wanted to watch predictable jumpscares I'd sit by my toaster and pop balloons for 120 mins.

[@thehitherto5348]

One of my most anticipated movies of 2016, but it won't be released in Norway anytime soon :( The Witch seems really intriguing because it takes place in a historical setting where many people genuinely believed in witchcraft and mass hysteria sometimes broke out (Salem witch trials). I doubt witch-movies set in the present could invoke that sense of dread and paranoia.

[@weerobot]

Totally Captivating movie...was glued to my seat...

[@ArtwithBen]

*This post includes spoilers* *Spoilers* The notion that the family's faith is bringing dread unto them does not work. The film confirms the Devil is responsible for all that happened; thus, the family is justified in their puritanical belief and rightly suspicious of eachother. The notion that the actuality of events becomes unclear is also bogus, the audience is shown a witch - a child does dissapear. This occurs at the beginning, before islolation, hunger, and paranoia set in.

[@RyanPerrella]

Definitely need a few more monitors on arms on that table

[@fredsmith-kingofthelunatic7810]

Bloody cheapskates

[@duartevader2101]

I really liked Black Phillip. Such a cool character.

[@donna25871]

Finally saw it on pay tv - a really interesting psychological movie - with a touch of supernatural horror.

[@JaydevRaol]

Finally watched and it was really great.

[@outpost31737]

The appearance of the Devil himself was chilling. Just for a moment you see him in human form.

[@nickl9317]

The shot of kate dickie maniacal with the crow was absolutely horrific. You feel the mysticism, the weirdness and folk horror stuff behind it, but just as an image it is unsettling and horrible on a deep level

[@mattred7710]

I really liked this movie, but... Spoilers: Seeing that witches exist in this world, and especially seeing one in the first 10mn of the movie, was a mistake to do imo. The audience knows that there is a supernatural aspectwto the story, the characters don't. If the audience was as clueless and confused as the characters, the story would have been more creepy and mysterious

[@under-a-loggia6415]

I know right?! That was my issue with the film too.

[@ursie1986]

+Matt Red I haven't read your full comment as I haven't seen the film yet, just wanted to say THANKS for using standard keyboard punctuation to discuss spoilers on youtube and yet not reveal anything. Appreciate your work!

[@mattred7710]

+cx1735 totally understand. So many people have spoiled plot points from movies in the comments. I hate that

[@mattred7710]

+CorpsmanPrivateer i'm really sorry but I don't understand your point. Are you ok with: witches exist from the beginning or they shouldn't have shown us withces existed till the end?

[@mmmmm11002]

Disagree, I really liked the fact that eggers didn't go the "is there really a witch or is it their own imagination?" Much more original especially since going into the movie I was expecting it to be more of a "is there really a witch" movie.

[@jasonwoodland5710]

Probably one of the best film reviews I have ever seen, you can’t get much more “bang on the money” than that. An excellent Film indeed.

[@phatshah7377]

my other half hated this movie. She said it was creepy and made her uncomfortable throughout. Ill let you make up your mind as to whether that should commend it to you.

[@Degjoy]

I thought it was wonderful. I would go to see it again ♥

[@dravenuk]

Can't wait for this. I've been looking forward to it for months. I love smart, creepy, artistic folk horror. Hopes are very high.

[@dravenuk]

I did love it. I truly loved it. One of the best films of recent memory. Smart, creepy and artistic. And no stupid cattle prod jump scares. Brill.

[@InADarkTavern]

Really good message from this movie

[@DwainDwight]

outstanding film. great review

[@under-a-loggia6415]

I feel like the movie just fell flat for me. I didn't hate it. In fact I really enjoyed some elements of it. Most elements really. But overall it didn't really work for me. I got a notification that Kermode put a review of this movie up, and I got kind of excited to see what he had to say because I actually just got finished filming a video that should go up on my channel this weekend about why it didn't really work for me.

[@under-a-loggia6415]

GiRayne Thanks for checking out my channel! Yeah, I'm definitely planning to watch at least one film by Bigelow at some point. I'll also have to check out Water Lilies. I've heard of it but I don't know much about it.

[@under-a-loggia6415]

+GiRayne That's a good point. I was planning on starting with The Hurt Locker just because of its Oscars, but maybe I will start with Zero Dark Thirty. Now I definitely want to check out Water Lilies. I'm bummed though because after being on Netflix for a long time, it's not on there anymore. But I'll find it somewhere else haha. As for Sophia Coppola films, I wasn't planning on watching any because I wanted to only watch films I hadn't seen before. I just looked through her filmography though and I still haven't seen Somewhere, so maybe I'll see that one. Thank you for all the suggestions! :)

[@under-a-loggia6415]

+GiRayne Hmm, I wonder if I'll like Somewhere then. I haven't really loved the films by Sofia Coppola that I've seen in the past. I haven't seen any Bigelow films. I actually haven't seen any of the films you've suggested here. Kissed looks intriguiging. I just saw that you can watch it on youtube, so maybe it'll be reviewed sometime soon. As for Whip It, I've actually wanted to see it for while, but this project might just be the push I need to watch it. And the same goes for Girlhood. When I heard about it last year, it sounded really interesting. I haven't gotten around to watching it yet, but I might as well since it's on Netflix and I've heard nothing but great things about it. I actually hadn't made the connection that Sciamma was the director behind both Girlhood and Water Lilies, as well as Tomboy which is another film that looks really interesting. Thanks again for the awesome suggestions! This has been really helpful :)

[@under-a-loggia6415]

+GiRayne Well, maybe I should say that I don't remember liking her films. With the exception of The Bling Ring (which I saw last year), it's been a while since I've seen anything from her. The movies that I saw when I was a teenager just came across as boring. But since I've been expanding my taste in film since then, I'm sure if I watched them now I would appreciate them more. Right now, my videos are mostly for me. Even though I've just started making review videos, I've found that I can focus my thoughts on films better, and that I can express them better too. And I'm glad that's something I'm improving on, so just for that reason I want to continue making videos. But I think eventually I'll probably start to want to grow. I've seen the backlash that some creators have gotten for their feminist content. But I've seen them persevere too, so that gives me some confidence that I can as well. I love Lynne Ramsay! I saw We Need To Talk About Kevin a few months ago, and was blown away by it. And Ratcatcher is actually the next film I'll be reviewing. I really enjoyed it. I need to find some more of her films. She's become one of my favorite directors. I can't wait to see what she does next.

[@under-a-loggia6415]

+GiRayne The music in We Need To Talk About Kevin is fantastic. That's actually one of the reasons I loved the movie so much, tbh. And I can relate to movies set close to home never really grabbing your attention. I've never really had much interest in movies set in the southwestern United States. As far as making reviews, I enjoy watching youtube videos and content put out by smaller channels and I'm always surprised and inspired by the ways that creators on this platform present their information. Although I haven't really strayed from the one format I've been making my videos in lately, I really like playing around in my editing software. I like the process of editing my videos much more than the process of writing reviews. I do write reviews sometimes on my letterboxd account though, and I do find that helpful. I would just rather spend more time on my videos, I guess.

[@rippedtorn2310]

Yea if you are aware of ergot fungus i think thats what you'll take away from it . So well done.

[@jumbo4billion]

But they were eating corn bread not rye.

[@thewavingbear]

LIVE TRUE LIVE FREE LIVE DELICIOUSLY

[@Luvie1980]

Sounds like something like the Salem Witch Trials. I might check this film out.

[@csjcsj2906]

+Luvie1980 And the interesting thing about this film is that it takes place decades before the Trials ever happened.

[@briocheoleary5043]

The ending shows it is a real horror film

[@riseofthegammons3225]

Bloody good rep

[@Heavygusto]

Not seen it yet but it gives me the impression that it's the film The Village could have been.

[@Heavygusto]

Looking forward to watching it :)

[@willstrickland9952]

He gets art house films

[@syddog44]

Watch this film and I liked it very much.Super creepy

[@SnarkierThan-U-R]

I watched the Witch holding onto the assumption that witches do exist. It's boring to deconstruct everything down to reality. So to me, there really was evil and the goat was the devil. Thomasin was The VVitch. I don't watch movies with an eye of disbelief.

[@weekendpartier]

Dude's speaking too fast!!! I had to slow it down! The Witch WAS AWESOME

[@TimLee356]

eggers gave us a taste of butter. bravo

[@neilmccormick2064]

It's a wonderfully terrifying film .

[@ashadeofnight]

I disagree with Kermode. I can't believe he is trying to explain away the supernatural elements as paranoia or hallucination. In my opinion they are blatantly shown as real, the writer has made that choice and we should take it as such. To explain it away would ruin it for me.

[@jamiewatts8244]

In 10 years or less....Eggers will be as important as Hitchcock

[@murrayp4]

Finchy?????

[@AdrianMendoza23]

great movie

[@sirbarnabyst.johntoffingto9017]

How much does one get for making tea at the BBC?

[@brendandarkside1207]

I disagree. Absolute opposite of the crucible. We root for the boy dying then realize he is going to the lap of the love of satan in his last speech. Then when Thomasin goes we realize they all go to satan. Including the twins. And it's not a horror film it's about the evils of christianity. We are caught up in the Christian paradigm until the end. And ergot only grew on rye, Mark. Not corn.

[@MLElf]

Hmm, been looking forward to this for a while, read lots of good reviews, and the comments on this review all seem good however I must say general I was disappointed. I think the reason was because of the lines, They just didn't flow, it felt like a play, but not a good one. It felt to staged.... Shame, as it could have been so much better, it was close but not quite there

[@JG-nx3jg]

Darren Butler i agree it seemed like they threw in 'thee' to try and make it sound a bit like gcse grade old english. Could have been worse if they had american accents. Anyway i enjoyed it and was glad it was shot well and had some thought as oppossed to jump scares.

[@carolcyr8553]

A lot of the dialog was taken directly from diaries written by people back in the 1600's.

[@NoPainNoGain200]

Influenced by the shining

[@TheCrusaderRabbits]

This guy thought Baby Driver was a better movie than Silence. Lol. Take his reviews with a grain of salt.