Its audience score on RT is in the low 50s. Seems to be a pretty even split among non-critics.
THE WITCH
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298 Replies |
Last: 1 yr ago by TCTTS
Ha, I'm legit starting to think there are two versions of this movie playing in theaters.
This movie is good. You can tell the director made it with a purpose. Pacing is on point and nothing feels bloated. Cinematography is great. Love the score. Acting was SOLID. Especially by the dad, If I had to pick my #1.
The BP scene was OUTSTANDING filmmaking. It's worth the price of admission.
...But I'm not gonna lie, as I walked out of the theatre, it felt flat. I can objectively admire that this film was well made. It has little, if any, flaws...but it never felt special. Maybe that's my fault for reading these reviews and hyping it up. But to me, it was good, not great. It didn't redefine the horror genre and it won't leave any real lasting impression on me.
The BP scene was OUTSTANDING filmmaking. It's worth the price of admission.
...But I'm not gonna lie, as I walked out of the theatre, it felt flat. I can objectively admire that this film was well made. It has little, if any, flaws...but it never felt special. Maybe that's my fault for reading these reviews and hyping it up. But to me, it was good, not great. It didn't redefine the horror genre and it won't leave any real lasting impression on me.
Oh and I didn't have any trouble understanding the dialogue. Thought it was a nice touch that really added to the atmosphere.
quote:
Oh and I didn't have any trouble understanding the dialogue. Thought it was a nice touch that really added to the atmosphere.
You just articulated my thoughts much better than I could.
dude was legit, the mom was annoying as hell. this movie underwhelmed big time.
Good interview with the director.
Not sure why he got so sensitive/defensive when asked about his personal belief in witchcraft, though.
Not sure why he got so sensitive/defensive when asked about his personal belief in witchcraft, though.
I still want to see it but man it's getting slammed. Beautiful and well done, but boring and can't decide whether its a horror, suspense or whatnot.
quote:I don't understand why it has to be any one of those things exclusively. Why can't it just be a good movie?
and can't decide whether its a horror, suspense or whatnot.
quote:Oh no, I agree, that's just the scuttlebutt and the criticism. But I usually don't agree with the critics.quote:I don't understand why it has to be any one of those things exclusively. Why can't it just be a good movie?
and can't decide whether its a horror, suspense or whatnot.
I recently watch the Last Witch Hunter and liked it and don't think it did well at all.
quote:
I recently watch the Last Witch Hunter and liked it and don't think it did well at all.
Oh well you'll love this... Pretty much the same movie
quote:quote:Oh no, I agree, that's just the scuttlebutt and the criticism. But I usually don't agree with the critics.quote:I don't understand why it has to be any one of those things exclusively. Why can't it just be a good movie?
and can't decide whether its a horror, suspense or whatnot.
I recently watch the Last Witch Hunter and liked it and don't think it did well at all.
Critics love this movie. Average moviegoers less so.
Possible spoiler below...
How graphic is the baby's death? I heard about it but is it just implied or shown clearly? I have a little one and it's amazing how much somethibg like that affects me now.
How graphic is the baby's death? I heard about it but is it just implied or shown clearly? I have a little one and it's amazing how much somethibg like that affects me now.
left mostly off screen.
***spoiler***
The most "graphic" part is when you see the witch slowly caressing the child's stomach and make the move to castrate the baby. At that moment the camera cuts to black and then later shows the witch smearing blood on herself (which you assume belongs to the infant)
***end spoiler****
***spoiler***
The most "graphic" part is when you see the witch slowly caressing the child's stomach and make the move to castrate the baby. At that moment the camera cuts to black and then later shows the witch smearing blood on herself (which you assume belongs to the infant)
***end spoiler****
I enjoyed. Will post thoughts later
quote:^I think that quote perfectly exhibits the root cause of the problem. The author of that article, as well as yourself, both expressed that The Witch was not just a good movie, but a historically great movie. I think anyone, like myself, who viewed it as simply good or OK, is getting pegged as 'hating' on it. I didn't feel like I wasted my time or money watching it, but I have no desire to see it again, nor do I believe it will leave a lasting impression on any future cinematic experience in the horror genre for me.
HitFix / "Why do so many horror fans hate 'The Witch'?"quote:
And then a film like The Witch, which I honestly think will go down in history as one of the greatest horror films of its era, comes out, and people complain that it's not exactly what they were expecting. Go figure.
Most people can generally agree between a good and bad movie, but its much harder to come to a consensus between a good and great one.
My 2 cents.
Exactly. It seems like critics (and TC) are expecting people to heap praise on it for some reason.
And to put this movie on the same level as The Shining is just silly.
And to put this movie on the same level as The Shining is just silly.
All I know is that I'm not going to hold back on giving a genuine reaction simply because it might paint unrealistic expectations. I'm not here to manage expectations. I genuinely thought The Witch was the best horror movie I've ever seen. And I'm going to express that sentiment justly. That said, I still qualified my opinion by saying I'm not a horror guy, nor do I watch many horror movies, while also saying the movie isn't for everyone. I went out of my way to basically say take this with a grain of salt. So it's insane to me that it's somehow my fault someone else didn't like something. And it makes zero difference to me whether it's objectively viewed as a historically great movie. I absolutely loved it. And I expressed that. It's up to you guys to do what you may with that info.
Whoa, I wasn't trying to rest blame on you at all. Like I said, i didn't walk out of the movie, angry or frustrated. I follow your threads and your opinion holds a lot of water with me. I was just facilitating discussion and expressing my thoughts on the dichotomy of opinions with the film. I feel there's a large contingent that agree that it's good, but I feel the debate lies in whether it truly approaches "great" territory or not.
Keep doin you TCTTS!
Keep doin you TCTTS!
Gotcha. Much appreciated.
Not sure if any of that is directed at me, but nobody is blaming you for making them dislike this movie.
On my post where I said you oversold it, I wasn't putting blame on you for anything. You have every right to love the movie.
My thoughts on the movie would be the same regardless. And again, to reiterate, I did not hate the movie. I think it was simply a good horror flick but nothing special. No more, no less.
On my post where I said you oversold it, I wasn't putting blame on you for anything. You have every right to love the movie.
My thoughts on the movie would be the same regardless. And again, to reiterate, I did not hate the movie. I think it was simply a good horror flick but nothing special. No more, no less.
OK. For the ADD culture, this movie won't work. People will lose interest in the buildup and seemingly "bunch of nothing" that entails the first hour.
Hell, I even checked the watch a few times just to make sure there was adequate time for a payoff(more on that later).
However, I was fascinated by the historical accuracy of the time piece, and Thomasin/Caleb both did very good. Caleb's weakest moments were with his dad in the woods. That was awful. Outside of that he was outstanding. The 2 booger younger siblings were great at being annoying younger siblings.
The mother was so incredibly good, and the fathers personal battle with not being able to provide for his family, testing his faith, etc all played so well.
From early on I kept wondering if the mother was a witch, then thomasin, then the kids, etc. I just couldn't quite peg it, but the Caleb possessed scene brought that theme all together. None of them could, some were faking, others weren't, all were scared and confused, and it became a challenge of faith. I totally bought that the 2 young'ns were doing their best Salem witch trial when Caleb was possessed and were not actually affected, proven when William shook Jonas.
Then we get to THE black Phillip scene. WOW. I kept getting random shivers from just before that scene throughout the rest of the movie. That's how I knew it was affecting me. I don't jump at cheap thrills and silly scares and get freaked out in your typical trash horror, so the suspense and internal questioning of religion, faith, Satan, etc was doing its job on me. Wasnt a scared feeling, but an incredibly uncomfortable one.
Back to my watch comment. When the major black Phillip scene happened, I looked down at my watch thinking no way we had time for it because I could have sworn we were almost done with the film(I knew the runtime before viewing). Not only were we not done there, but the scene extended into the woods for a final payoff and exit. Just well done.
Is it Godfather? No. But in a genre I usually don't care for at all, it was outstanding.
Hell, I even checked the watch a few times just to make sure there was adequate time for a payoff(more on that later).
However, I was fascinated by the historical accuracy of the time piece, and Thomasin/Caleb both did very good. Caleb's weakest moments were with his dad in the woods. That was awful. Outside of that he was outstanding. The 2 booger younger siblings were great at being annoying younger siblings.
The mother was so incredibly good, and the fathers personal battle with not being able to provide for his family, testing his faith, etc all played so well.
From early on I kept wondering if the mother was a witch, then thomasin, then the kids, etc. I just couldn't quite peg it, but the Caleb possessed scene brought that theme all together. None of them could, some were faking, others weren't, all were scared and confused, and it became a challenge of faith. I totally bought that the 2 young'ns were doing their best Salem witch trial when Caleb was possessed and were not actually affected, proven when William shook Jonas.
Then we get to THE black Phillip scene. WOW. I kept getting random shivers from just before that scene throughout the rest of the movie. That's how I knew it was affecting me. I don't jump at cheap thrills and silly scares and get freaked out in your typical trash horror, so the suspense and internal questioning of religion, faith, Satan, etc was doing its job on me. Wasnt a scared feeling, but an incredibly uncomfortable one.
Back to my watch comment. When the major black Phillip scene happened, I looked down at my watch thinking no way we had time for it because I could have sworn we were almost done with the film(I knew the runtime before viewing). Not only were we not done there, but the scene extended into the woods for a final payoff and exit. Just well done.
Is it Godfather? No. But in a genre I usually don't care for at all, it was outstanding.
quote:
All I know is that I'm not going to hold back on giving a genuine reaction simply because it might paint unrealistic expectations. I'm not here to manage expectations. I genuinely thought The Witch was the best horror movie I've ever seen. And I'm going to express that sentiment justly. That said, I still qualified my opinion by saying I'm not a horror guy, nor do I watch many horror movies, while also saying the movie isn't for everyone. I went out of my way to basically say take this with a grain of salt. So it's insane to me that it's somehow my fault someone else didn't like something. And it makes zero difference to me whether it's objectively viewed as a historically great movie. I absolutely loved it. And I expressed that. It's up to you guys to do what you may with that info.
Go watch "The Exorcist". It's pretty much universally lauded as the gold standard for horror films and the best one of all time. If you read into its history and the events surrounding its release, you'll basically have no choice but to agree. It changed the way horror films were made, is banned in certain countries, and ruined the life of its main star. They had to hand out doggie bags at the entrance. Multiple people filed lawsuits after passing out and breaking their jaws on the floor. And that's just the start. It's the only film that I've ever seen where I was so scared that I had to fight the urge to vomit.
quote:
OK. For the ADD culture, this movie won't work. People will lose interest in the buildup and seemingly "bunch of nothing" that entails the first hour.
Hell, I even checked the watch a few times just to make sure there was adequate time for a payoff(more on that later).
However, I was fascinated by the historical accuracy of the time piece, and Thomasin/Caleb both did very good. Caleb's weakest moments were with his dad in the woods. That was awful. Outside of that he was outstanding. The 2 booger younger siblings were great at being annoying younger siblings.
The mother was so incredibly good, and the fathers personal battle with not being able to provide for his family, testing his faith, etc all played so well.
From early on I kept wondering if the mother was a witch, then thomasin, then the kids, etc. I just couldn't quite peg it, but the Caleb possessed scene brought that theme all together. None of them could, some were faking, others weren't, all were scared and confused, and it became a challenge of faith. I totally bought that the 2 young'ns were doing their best Salem witch trial when Caleb was possessed and were not actually affected, proven when William shook Jonas.
Then we get to THE black Phillip scene. WOW. I kept getting random shivers from just before that scene throughout the rest of the movie. That's how I knew it was affecting me. I don't jump at cheap thrills and silly scares and get freaked out in your typical trash horror, so the suspense and internal questioning of religion, faith, Satan, etc was doing its job on me. Wasnt a scared feeling, but an incredibly uncomfortable one.
Back to my watch comment. When the major black Phillip scene happened, I looked down at my watch thinking no way we had time for it because I could have sworn we were almost done with the film(I knew the runtime before viewing). Not only were we not done there, but the scene extended into the woods for a final payoff and exit. Just well done.
Is it Godfather? No. But in a genre I usually don't care for at all, it was outstanding.
With the exception of The Exorcism of Emily Rose, there haven't been any truly "great" horror films made in recent decades. Misery was pretty much the last of the dying "plot driven" horror films. These were sacrificed for more traditional "quick scare" horror films that could be filmed on lower budgets and required less adept filmmaking (Scream redefined the genre to modern moviegoer). That being said, there have been some good attempts at the plot driven horror genre over the last two decades that shouldn't be overlooked:
Saw (only the first film)
The Ring
Silence of the Lambs & Se7en (if you can stretch your horror genre a little)
quote:I do love horror, haunting and suspense (not as much into the Saw-like films), so I hope I like this. But if I don't that's fine too. I am going to see it.
All I know is that I'm not going to hold back on giving a genuine reaction simply because it might paint unrealistic expectations. I'm not here to manage expectations. I genuinely thought The Witch was the best horror movie I've ever seen. And I'm going to express that sentiment justly. That said, I still qualified my opinion by saying I'm not a horror guy, nor do I watch many horror movies, while also saying the movie isn't for everyone. I went out of my way to basically say take this with a grain of salt. So it's insane to me that it's somehow my fault someone else didn't like something. And it makes zero difference to me whether it's objectively viewed as a historically great movie. I absolutely loved it. And I expressed that. It's up to you guys to do what you may with that info.
quote:quote:I do love horror, haunting and suspense (not as much into the Saw-like films), so I hope I like this. But if I don't that's fine too. I am going to see it.
All I know is that I'm not going to hold back on giving a genuine reaction simply because it might paint unrealistic expectations. I'm not here to manage expectations. I genuinely thought The Witch was the best horror movie I've ever seen. And I'm going to express that sentiment justly. That said, I still qualified my opinion by saying I'm not a horror guy, nor do I watch many horror movies, while also saying the movie isn't for everyone. I went out of my way to basically say take this with a grain of salt. So it's insane to me that it's somehow my fault someone else didn't like something. And it makes zero difference to me whether it's objectively viewed as a historically great movie. I absolutely loved it. And I expressed that. It's up to you guys to do what you may with that info.
The first Saw was wonderfully haunting a great mystery film as well. After that, it just became about how many weird ways can we torture people for shock value.
quote:Is it heavily anti-Christian? Does it slander Jesus and find a way to make fun of his followers (and not just Puritans) or the traditional family structure? I could see atheist hipsters and liberal Hollywood types and Jews giving high praises for that reason alone. Genuinely curious.
I realize this will probably be chalked up to pretentious LA types, but I've never seen this kind of differential in opinion between folks in the industry and those who aren't. Every LA friend or co-worker I've talked to about this one feels the same way I do, if not more so, while it seems to have underwhelmed most of you guys.
What the hell?
It's an incredibly accurate recreation of a Puritan nightmare. The tropes and enemies in the film are the tropes and enemies the Puritans believed worked against them at all times. The events and signs, the animals, etc, all of that comes from 17th century beliefs about witchcraft and Satan.
It's an incredibly accurate recreation of a Puritan nightmare. The tropes and enemies in the film are the tropes and enemies the Puritans believed worked against them at all times. The events and signs, the animals, etc, all of that comes from 17th century beliefs about witchcraft and Satan.
quote:
Is it heavily anti-Christian? Does it slander Jesus and find a way to make fun of his followers (and not just Puritans) or the traditional family structure? I could see atheist hipsters and liberal Hollywood types and Jews giving high praises for that reason alone. Genuinely curious.
No.
Also, atheists, hipsters, and liberals make up a massive amount of the general population that isn't "in the business". But keep painting with that broad brush.
It's getting bad reviews because the ignorant masses want an incredibly cheesy movie that just gives you quick scares throughout.
I sat in a packed theater for "When a stranger calls" probably 10 years ago. It was ****ing horrible. Ripe with your horror cliches, girl goes UP the stairs TOWARDS the bad guy. All that ****. Just awful. The worst movie ever. I'm openly laughing, and the rest of the theater is jumping, screaming, and freaking out.
9% on RT, and 40+% audience liked it. A flip of what you see in this situation.
The issue is that The Witch brought in a ton of people who think they love horror movies, but in reality they just like being spooked, but don't have the time to truly get into a horror movie that challenges you and has depth.
The Witch has historical and spiritual depth. If you aren't willing to give it the time to think, then you'll hate it.
quote:Right, but I am asking if it is one big shot at Christianity in general or puritanism? Nothing really surprises me anymore I guess.
What the hell?
It's an incredibly accurate recreation of a Puritan nightmare. The tropes and enemies in the film are the tropes and enemies the Puritans believed worked against them at all times. The events and signs, the animals, etc, all of that comes from 17th century beliefs about witchcraft and Satan.
I haven't seen the film but kind of want to. I was just wondering if maybe something like that could explain why so many movie goers seemed to think it was crap and so many liberal hollywood types are painting it as one of the best movies of all time.
And with regards to The Exorcist...that movie tripped me out when I saw it on the big screen in College Station around 2001 or so. I literally almost blacked out during the scene where she's being checked out in the hospital and having blood drawn...and maybe another scene or two later in the movie.
No, it doesn't attack Christianity, it portrays it exactly as it is. If you're a christian and believe in God and Jesus, then you obviously believe in the devil. This movie showcases the faith of a puritan era family and their encounters with evil (or the devil).
(I must state explicitly that I do not believe the director made this film as a commentary on religion or as reflection of his beliefs, however some could obviously mis-interpret it as such.)
(I must state explicitly that I do not believe the director made this film as a commentary on religion or as reflection of his beliefs, however some could obviously mis-interpret it as such.)
quote:I don't, but that's for another thread on another forum. Thanks for the info. I really want to see this and think I'll like it. Not sure I've legitimately enjoyed a horror movie since Sixth Sense and The Ring. And I keep hoping something new and fresh and genuinely creepy/disturbing will come out.
No, it doesn't attack Christianity, it portrays it exactly as it is. If you're a christian and believe in God and Jesus, then you obviously believe in the devil. This movie showcases the faith of a puritan era family and their encounters with evil (or the devil).
quote:
It's getting bad reviews because the ignorant masses want an incredibly cheesy movie that just gives you quick scares throughout.
quote:
The issue is that The Witch brought in a ton of people who think they love horror movies, but in reality they just like being spooked, but don't have the time to truly get into a horror movie that challenges you and has depth.
The pretentiousness is strong with this one.
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