One glimpse at the trailer below and you'll see why critics at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year were calling The Witch adjectives like "soul-shaking" and "disturbing." Directed by Robert Eggers, the film takes us back to pre-colonial New England where a small settlement gets smaller after a family is excommunicated and forced to hack it in the wilderness alone. But they are far from alone. An unseen horror creeps into their lives; the baby disappears; and that's just the beginning.
Eggers took home the Best Director award at Sundance and, just from the trailer, it's easy to see why. The filmmaker uses atmosphere and emptiness to build tension and heightens the horror by making the film an experience. There are no cheap thrills here. Along with It Follows, The Witch was the toast of the midnight screenings at the film festival.
Check out the first trailer and poster for the movie below and judge for yourself. The Witch stars Anya Taylor-Joy, Ralph Ineson, Katie Dickie, Harvey Scrimshaw, Lucas Dawson, and Ellie Grainger. It opens in theaters next year.
