THE WITCH (Might Be One of the Best Horror Films of 2016; Opens February 19)

[lakersfan45]

I've noticed you've made this comment a few times now. What exactly was unlikable about Thomasin? Or Caleb?

Even William, flawed man that he was, I found to be sympathetic.

Thomasin was the only slightly likeable character to me. There was nothing about Caleb that stood out to me or made me like him. Most the characters were extremely one dimensional. The movie never really shows who they are or any interesting character traits. As I said before I also that the dialogue was atrocious. Most the dialogue doesn't build the characters or move the plot forward. My guess is that people were too impressed by the old dialect to really notice? I don't know it completely dumb founded me. It's basically the same things being said over and over and what's worse is how long it takes each character to make a simple statement

 

[Knock Out Ned]

Not a bad flick. I though the brother and the dad had depth to their characters.

Not scary at all.

 

[Khabib Fan]

Only someone with an agenda would actually find this message in the movie, considering that in the end all the "superstition" turns out to be real.

No, bro. It didn't turn out to be real. It's just a movie. Goats can't start talking and turn into humans in real life and women can't float into the air. Hate to break it to you, but all that other stuff... it really happens in fundamental religious environments. Isolation, accusations, division, believing in things that aren't real and fear based control. Yep. That's real life religion.

By the way, I've had my life destroyed by being in a Christian cult. My only agenda is understand my past and to heal.

 

[RhinoRush]

I loved it. The reasons people have given ITT for liking it generally seem a heck of a lot smarter than the reasons others are giving for disliking it.

 

[Strange King]

Movie was a masterpiece. Seen it twice and caught more the 2nd time

 

[Strange King]

I really don't get the positive ratings for this. I guess it's just me. I'm all for a movie slowly building tension, lots of dialogue, and taking its time in general. But I felt like there were no likeable characters and it was the same conversations over and over again without any development.

I think the plot itself and how it developed was good but I don't think it did a good job of actually writing an interesting movie inbetween.

It's just you. There's a reason why so many like it. I find slower minds don't like this film

 

[lakersfan45]

It's just you. There's a reason why so many like it. I find slower minds don't like this film

well excuse my slow mind. couldn't be that i just have a difference of opinion. my mind must be slow, thats it. its a good thing my slow mind is capable of me getting a PhD in biochemistry (scheduled for this fall) and finishing up a couple manuscripts for publication right now. my slow feeble mind

 

[Monkadelic]

lol Biochem. Sounds like your mind is too slow to wrestle down a computer science major.

 

[Guestx]

Thomasin was the only slightly likeable character to me. There was nothing about Caleb that stood out to me or made me like him. Most the characters were extremely one dimensional. The movie never really shows who they are or any interesting character traits. As I said before I also that the dialogue was atrocious. Most the dialogue doesn't build the characters or move the plot forward. My guess is that people were too impressed by the old dialect to really notice? I don't know it completely dumb founded me. It's basically the same things being said over and over and what's worse is how long it takes each character to make a simple statement

I honestly think that what you found to be flaws may have actually been intentional, in that it created a world where people really just didn't have much going on beyond talking about God, sin, Satan, damnation, etc.

When I walked out of the film, I even said to my companion, I wonder if that's really the way it was then, where people were so obsessed with the state of their soul that they barely thought or talked about anything else.

 

[Guestx]

No, bro. It didn't turn out to be real. It's just a movie. Goats can't start talking and turn into humans in real life and women can't float into the air. Hate to break it to you, but all that other stuff... it really happens in fundamental religious environments. Isolation, accusations, division, believing in things that aren't real and fear based control. Yep. That's real life religion.

By the way, I've had my life destroyed by being in a Christian cult. My only agenda is understand my past and to heal.

I have a friend who is an ex-Jehovah's Witness and he had some pretty fucked up experiences, so I'm sympathetic to whatever happened. In fact, I'd be interested to hear more if you want to talk about it.

But I think you have to judge the film according to the world it creates. Remember, it's fiction, but inside this fictional world, things are real.

 

[Guestx]

I loved it. The reasons people have given ITT for liking it generally seem a heck of a lot smarter than the reasons others are giving for disliking it.

Personally, I found it to be more "interesting" than "entertaining," if that makes sense. I thought it had a great look, great sound design, an interesting/fresh/original concept, and excellent acting from everyone except those two little shithead kids. I thought it was great how they recreated the dialogue of the time and really imbued the film with a sense of time and place. Lastly, the fact that the story was drawn from actual records of the era was cool.

But despite all this, again, I'm not sure how ENTERTAINED I really was.

 

[lakersfan45]

I honestly think that what you found to be flaws may have actually been intentional, in that it created a world where people really just didn't have much going on beyond talking about God, sin, Satan, damnation, etc.

When I walked out of the film, I even said to my companion, I wonder if that's really the way it was then, where people were so obsessed with the state of their soul that they barely thought or talked about anything else.

Yeah that might be true. In which case it's just not my thing, it was a real turn off to me.

 

[lakersfan45]

Personally, I found it to be more "interesting" than "entertaining," if that makes sense. I thought it had a great look, great sound design, an interesting/fresh/original concept, and excellent acting from everyone except those two little shithead kids. I thought it was great how they recreated the dialogue of the time and really imbued the film with a sense of time and place. Lastly, the fact that the story was drawn from actual records of the era was cool.

But despite all this, again, I'm not sure how ENTERTAINED I really was.

For me the film didn't aesthetically do much for me, which is what seems to be a major part of why so many people liked it

With that said when that happens I usually at least find comfort with likeable characters and the dialogue. As for as likeable characters - that's something I can't control, didn't like most of them. As far as dialogue as you touched on maybe it was meant to be more simple and true to the time, which circles back to my aesthetic argument. Even so I felt like more could have been said to develop the characters or plot... but that might be at the expense of the atmosphere / aesthetic

 

[Guestx]

For me the film didn't aesthetically do much for me, which is what seems to be a major part of why so many people liked it

With that said when that happens I usually at least find comfort with likeable characters and the dialogue. As for as likeable characters - that's something I can't control, didn't like most of them. As far as dialogue as you touched on maybe it was meant to be more simple and true to the time, which circles back to my aesthetic argument. Even so I felt like more could have been said to develop the characters or plot... but that might be at the expense of the atmosphere / aesthetic

The film has been pretty polarizing in terms of audience reception. For instance, it's CinemaScore is a C-, whereas often times even shitty movies get relatively high CinemaScores. Gods of Egypt right now has a B-. (CinemaScore, if you're not not aware, is an audience-based--rather than critic-based--scoring system.)

Personally, as you say, it was the supporting elements of the film that I really appreciated. The story itself could have been fleshed out more, in my opinion.

Honestly, I am not surprised that this seems to mostly be a love it or hate it kind of movie. I end up falling somewhere in the middle and can see the reasons for both positions.

 

[Phokuz]

Just came back from the Nordic premiere of The Witch. What can I say, it wasn't really my type of movie. I'm a fan of more traditional horror flicks and this was not one at all. Not that I expected it to be, but it's just not my cup of tea. I can say that it was really well done though, and I loved the technical side of the movie. The cinematography was some of the best I've seen in a horror film and reminded me of The Revenant. Read from IMDB that it was also shot in natural light which makes sense.

There's two main things that I didn't like. First, it's simply not scary, at any point. I don't get how some people have said it's the most terrifying film of all time blah blah. I didn't expect it to be a scarefest, but at least some tension would've been nice. Second, I couldn't understand half of the dialogue. I speak English as a third language so I'm not really that familiar with the old school shit they was talking. Not a fault of the movie, but still hindered my experience.

Yeah, so not a bad movie but not a very good one either IMO. I get how some people might like it, but I also get why some have walked out. I'd give it a 5/10 or 6/10.

 

[mushishi]

Is this the one with the black goat? No, I don't mean jones.

 

[Nameless Ghoul]

Is this the one with the black goat? No, I don't mean jones.

Black Phillip!

 

[BOWHUNTER]

Fucking terrible movie. made me feel like a pedo for getting aroused by her breasts.

Just terrible film making

 

[iThrillhouse]

The Witch - 8/10

Visceral, atmospheric, creepy as all fuck

can't recommend this enough. this movie is a must see. Absolutely creepy as fuck. This is such a fantastic horror movie. This movie has so much style, substance, there is ART to this mhorror movie.

not the typical jumpscare bullshit. this movie is utterly creepy. the music makes this movie

please go see it

 

[Strange King]

I liked it quite a bit, but I'm left with plenty of questions. Definitely a film that demands multiple viewings and a keen eye.

Seen it 3 times now and caught different things each time.

A phenomenal movie. A true masterpiece that we have been missing in the horror genre.

Both my parents are very religious and couldn't stomach how dark the movie played on our sins