A family’s faith and love are tested when their youngest son vanishes. Blaming their eldest daughter, suspicion and paranoia lead to accusations of witchcraft. A film by Robert Eggers, starring Anya Taylor-Joy, Ralph Ineson, and Kate Dickie.
The WITCH
A New-England Folklore
Robert Eggers
(2016)
In 1630s New England, English settler William (Ralph Ineson) and his family — wife Katherine (Kate Dickie), daughter Thomasin (Anya Taylor-Joy), son Caleb (Harvey Scrimshaw), and young twins Mercy (Ellie Grainger) and Jonas (Lucas Dawson) — are exiled from their settlement due to a religious dispute.
The Puritan family settles on a farm near a secluded forest, where Katherine gives birth to their fifth child, Samuel. While under Thomasin’s care, Samuel mysteriously disappears. Soon, it is revealed that a witch has stolen and killed Samuel to make an ointment. Katherine suspects Thomasin’s involvement, since she was the last person seen with him.
Consumed by grief, Katherine spends her days weeping and praying. William takes Caleb into the forest to hunt. The next morning, Caleb attempts to sneak out to check on a trap in the forest by himself. Thomasin awakens and sees him about to leave, and she asks him to take her with him. Caleb initially refuses, but Thomasin threatens to wake up their parents, and he reluctantly agrees.
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As they journey through the forest, a hare spooks the horse, sending it galloping wildly into the woods with Thomasin clinging to its back. Their dog chases after the hare, prompting Caleb to pursue them, only to find the dog grievously wounded. Meanwhile, Thomasin regains consciousness after being dislodged from the horse, which has knocked her unconscious. She manages to return home on her own, but Caleb is nowhere to be found.
Katherine is enraged, believing Thomasin is entirely to blame for taking Caleb into the forest without permission. Yet that night, Caleb returns to the farm naked, delirious, and mysteriously ill. Katherine suspects witchcraft and prays fervently for her son. But Caleb succumbs to violent convulsions and passionately professes his love for Christ before dying.
The twins accuse Thomasin of witchcraft, and a series of horrific and unexplained events lead William to deduce that she may be guilty. He resolves to take her for trial on their return to town, but soon realizes it is too late.
THE WITCH is written and directed by American filmmaker Robert Eggers in his directorial debut, inspired by his childhood fascination with the mythology of witches.
In the film, the filmmaker uses Early Modern English, the language spoken in late 15th century England. This can be challenging for viewers accustomed to modern English, but it is an intentional choice that contributes to the film’s atmosphere and authenticity.
Visually stunning and suspenseful from start to finish, THE WITCH features a superb script, unsettling atmosphere, and chilling performances. The filmmaker’s masterful use of lighting, color palettes, and mood, along with Mark Korven’s haunting soundtrack, creates a sense of dread and anticipation, leaving viewers unable to predict the next terrifying twist.
THE WITCH premiered at Sundance Film Festival on 27 Jaunary 2015. The film was theatrically released in the United States on 19 February 2016, by A24.
