Horror is a very particular thing. What brand you prefer says something very intimate about you, about what you value enough to fear losing. The horror I respond to normally involves family and religion and the slow dissolution of the ties that bind people together. While you figure out what that says about me, I’ll be over here salivating about how The Witch looks like it’ll check all of those boxes with style.
The film was a hit at 2015’s Sundance Film Festival, and it’s frustratingly taken over a year to get a theatrical release. I’m pleased to say that A24 has picked up the U.S. distribution, because, if you haven’t been paying attention, they’ve been handling some of the most bold, interesting films of the past three years (check out their stacked film list here). A vote of confidence from them really means something, and The Witch should fit right with the best of their offerings.
The trailer does an excellent job of getting across just how unsettling this film is trying to be. It’s not about jump scares and bloody ghosts, but real, deep in your heart fears. I imagine it will have a very similar feel to We Are What We Are, and if it’s able to pull off anything as squirm-inducing as that film’s dinner scenes, then you should prepare yourself for the horror highlight of the year.
The Witch is directed by Robert Eggers and stars Anya Taylor-Joy, Ralph Ineson, and Kate Dickie. It will be released in the U.S. on February 19th, 2016 and in the U.K. on March 11th, 2016. International release dates can be found here.
What kind of horror gets under your skin? Let us know in the comments!
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