Its audience score on RT is in the low 50s. Seems to be a pretty even split among non-critics.
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Oh and I didn't have any trouble understanding the dialogue. Thought it was a nice touch that really added to the atmosphere.
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.
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I recently watch the Last Witch Hunter and liked it and don't think it did well at all.
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.
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.
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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.
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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.
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.
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.
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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.
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.
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).
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It's getting bad reviews because the ignorant masses want an incredibly cheesy movie that just gives you quick scares throughout.
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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.