Years ago, I remember watching The Wire for the first time and quickly realizing that I would never be able to watch a network procedural ever again. Law & Order, CSI, Cold Case, Blue Blood, etc - they all paled in comparison to the "real" thing; a show so well done, explicit, and unrelenting that the fairly inauthentic, milquetoast world of network cop shows would never suffice again (not that I ever really watched any of those shows in the first place, but still).

Well, tonight, after watching The Witch, I just experienced that same realization again.

Except this time, in regards to the horror genre.

The Witch is so enthralling, unique, and brilliantly executed that I don't know if I'll be able to take another run-of-the-mill horror movie seriously ever again. Granted, I've never been a huge horror fan to begin with, and I can't remember the last horror movie that didn't make me roll my eyes - so take this with a grain of salt - but The Witch may very well be the best horror movie I've ever seen. It's that good. And that haunting. There is some seriously freaky sh*t in this movie that I will never be able to forget. And because it's all so insanely well done and well acted, I don't know that I necessarily want to. I was constantly as marveled as I was terrified.

That said, just like The Wire, The Witch definitely isn't for everyone. It moves at a very deliberate pace, is ripe with 17th century dialect, and doesn't go for cheap jump-scares. But what it does do frighteningly well is continually build a sense of dread - by subtle yet unrelenting means - until everything comes bubbling to the surface in one hell of a creepy and effective ending. Really, it's February, and this may very well be in my top ten at the end of the year. Considering the subject matter, along with the "controversy" surrounding the film, I'm about the furthest thing you'll find from a Satanist - but no matter your faith/religion/beliefs, there's no denying how phenomenally well done this movie is.

This is also A24's first-ever wide release, so it's debuting everywhere this weekend. For the sake of conversation, I hope many of you give it a shot soon, because I can't wait to hear thoughts from non-critics. I'm sure I've raised expectations impossibly high now, but this is exactly how I feel in the afterglow of this film. Hopefully at least a few of you end up sharing the sentiment.

I'll put in my $0.02 cents from looking at the trailers and reading a few reviews, so I could be wrong overall. I study 17th Century New England for a living and I've never seen a film appear to put as much into authentically recreating the beliefs and look of the Puritans of New England. I was blown away by how right the tone and look of this film is. That fear of the wilderness, the fear of the witch's "familiar," the structure of the family, and the all-encompassing importance of religion; it's all reflected in what I've seen and the reviews I've read. Someone did their homework.

Nope nope nope.

Same. I'm sure it's great but I'd be sleeping with a light on for weeks.

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Nope nope nope.

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Same here.

For those of you who do want to see it, if you have any interest afterwards, check out "Devil in the Shape of a Woman," and "In the Devil's Snare," about witchcraft and folklore in Puritan New England.

Also, as you watch it, it's important to realize that the wilderness in the Puritan mind was not the "woods" of our world. The wilderness was Satan's domain because it was disordered. It had no controls, no civilization. Religion for them was more than just theology, it was culture and practice. While Jesuit priests in Canada could convert Indiams and live with them, allowing them to retain their culture, Puritans demanded that Indians become English. To live in the wilderness was to court Satan. To not order the wilderness was to allow Satan to win. A fear of the Puritans in the decades after the initial settlement was that the wilderness had changed them. That they had fallen from their parents' piety because they went to a land that many felt was literally God-forsaken.

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Just a heads up but not only are the accents thick, but the wording is as well so I probably missed about on a fair amount of dialogue.

The music scorer for this must have sold his soul because this has to be the most haunting music I have ever heard. The director would start a static shock and hold it longer than comfortable as the music slowly becomes more discordant.

I love all horror movies, even the supernatural demon type ones. This is the first time I finished a movie feeling unclean. I will admit as a Christian, I said a prayer at the end because I felt so uncomfortable at the end.

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wow. I am so intrigued by this movie after reading this thread.

love a good horror movie as well. problem is 95% of the genre is garbage.

a trailer like this and a review from someone i trust like the op gives me hope. nothing more fun than a really well done horror film.

First time I've really ever disagreed with tctts. I almost walked out of this movie, it was so bad and not scary. Maybe I need a clear villain or crazy slasher movie, but this movie was horrible. I'm sure the next movie you endorse I'll be in the same boat, not this time.

I saw it last night. I was a little disappointed but probably because I built it up in my head so much from everything I'd seen and heard.

I will say this. This movie is one of the most authentic things I've ever seen. Other than some of the kids not being great actors (which isn't that big an issue because they remind you of real kids), it truly feels like you are watching a live feed of some scared ****less Puritans in the woods in the 1600's. The music is absolutely haunting, and there is indeed some very, very freaky stuff going on.


But I've mentioned multiple times how much I struggle with accents, and dammit... I could hardly understand a single word these people were saying. I watched every episode of The Wire with subtitles. I sure as hell couldn't understand these pilgrims.


Also, Black Phillip is my favorite movie character and name of the year so far.


TC, what is the controversy? Is it because of some of the "nudity" ? Or just the satanic themes?