Better Late Than Never on "The VVitch"

As I said yesterday, I like to catch up on scary movies that I may have missed during the month of October. I told you all about my push to watch all of Ari Aster's movies, so that was why I finally got around to seeing "Hereditary". Well, similar to my need to complete a small filmography of a director I like, I decided that I wanted to complete all of Robert Eggers work to this point, and that meant I had to watch "The VVitch".

I have seen his other movies and really enjoyed them all. I thought he did great work on "Nosferatu". "The Northman" is one of the most badass movies I've ever watched. And I truly adore the madness of "the Lighthouse". That left me with "The VVitch". It seems that I tend to miss these young directors' first major movies when they are in the theaters. But with so many streaming services, it was easy to remedy this self imposed issue. 

First off, what I appreciated most about this movie was the runtime, "The VVitch" clocks in at 90 minutes. I'm not opposed to a longer movie as long as it keeps my attention. But if I see a runtime like this, my mood is instantly better. Ninety minutes is totally doable in one sitting, especially with my kids back in school. Right off the bat, I loved the look of this movie. What impresses me most about Eggers to this point is how true he tries to stay to the time period of which his movies take place. This movie takes place in 1630 and it focuses on a Puritan family forced to leave their home. They then run into some wild stuff revolving around a witch and their new home and I was here for all of it. Anya Taylor Joy is the main character in this movie. She plays Thomasin and I believe this was her first big starring role. You can tell she had stardom quality right away. I bought every moment of her character. From being put upon and unloved at the beginning, to posing as a witch to scare her siblings and then her final transformation, she did an excellent job in this role. She was never over the top or cringey at all. She talked the talk and held her own with some other stars. Speaking of another star she worked with in this movie, Ralph Ineson plays the father. He is meek and weak willed. He has his family's best interest, and his love for God, at the forefront. But he is no good at anything else besides chopping wood. He is a poor hunter. He is a poor provider. He never really stands up for himself, and when he does try, it is met with harsh resistance. Kate Dickie plays the mom and she nails the torment and grief that comes with all she had to endure in this movie. Kids get kidnapped and possessed and Dickie shows that grief to near perfection. I didn't know much about her going into this movie, but she was so magnetic and I could not take my eyes off of her. I also disliked and liked and agreed with her at various points of the movie. To me that is the sign that an actor really nailed the role. The other kids in the movie did good work, especially the brother who gets possessed by the witch, but this is truly a three person performance. All of us who watched this wanted to see it for one of the three main characters I have to assume.

As for the setting, like I said above, it was wild to see a modern movie transform me into 1630 Puritan times. Wherever they shot it was a perfect spot. I felt desolate and isolated while watching. Seeing the crops not grow had me worried, especially because it looked as if cold weather was coming. The interior of the house is exactly what I imagined it would look like back then. From eating dinner by candlelight, to the forest, to the outside of the house, it is just as I have always envisioned it would be to live back then. And the animals they got to work in this movie were great as well. The bunny was scary as hell. The hunting dog was excellent. But it was the black goat, Black Phillip in the movie, that took the cake. That goat was horrifying and mean. I read that it was a little harder to train, and that shows. Apparently the goat and Ralph Ineson had run-ins, which makes the climatic scene all the better.

After sitting with this movie for a few days, I think it is only second to "The Lighthouse" for my fondness of Eggers work. He really did something special in his first go round, much like Aster did with "Hereditary". And you may say that this movie doesn't sound all that creepy, but don't be mistaken. This is an eerie and deeply upsetting movie. While it doesn't have jumpscares, this is still very scary, in its understatement and tone.  I recommend "the VVitch" wholeheartedly. It is a solid creepy season watch. 

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

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