The Witch (2015)

Written and Directed by Robert Eggers
Starring Anya Taylor-Joy, Ralph Ineson, Kate Dickie and Harvey Scrimshaw

In his review of this dark and demonic horror film, Drew McWeeny of HitFlix.com writes:

"It feels like we're watching something we should not be seeing."

I usually try to avoid quoting other reviewers, because of course, reviewing a film is about putting your feel ins about a film into your own words. But, dammit, Drew nailed it with that quote. It is truly the best way to describe this film.

For myself, horror films rarely do anything for me. Out of all the genres, they are certainly the most predictable and formulaic. However, every so often a film is released that absolutely changes the game. It is rare, but when it happens, that horror film becomes one of my favorites of the year, if not of all time.

Inspired by actual reports of 17th century witch trials and folklore, Robert Eggers has created a film so sinister and unnerving that it kept me tensed up throughout the majority of its duration. And believe me when I tell you that it is an impressive feat.

One of the most striking things about this film is how truthful to the time period the world that the filmmakers created was. There was not a single piece of clothing, architecture or even line of dialogue that took you out of the story. That, on top of some of the best acting of any horror movie ever (that's right), teamed up for one hell of an experience.

One of the most surprising aspects of the film was the young actors in it. At first, I thought that due to the subject matter, these kids would have limited roles in the film. But every single one of them gave a performance that seemed eerily understanding to the scenarios being depicted. I actually worried for these kids and their mentality.

Had this film been widely released last year, it certainly would have cracked my Top 10 movies of 2015. But with how much I loved this movie, I think it has a good chance of cracking my Top 10 of this year, if not my Top 5.

Forget seeing Deadpool again. See this instead. Or see both in one day! That's cool too!

My Rating: 10/10

Seventh Son (2014)

Directed by Sergey Bodrov
Written by Charles Leavitt, Steven Knight and Matt Greenberg, inspired by the novel "The Spook's Apprentice by Joseph Delaney
Starring Jeff Bridges, Ben Barnes, Julianne Moore and Alicia Vikander

A young man named Thomas becomes the apprentice of the last Spook (not the racial slur) to fight evil spirits in the wake of the blood moon. His first great challenge comes when the powerful witch Mother Malkin escapes her confinement and aims to destroy the Earth.

I'm convinced that Jeff Bridges saw the synopsis of this movie, asked "can I grow awesome facial hair and speak in a funny old man voice?" and accepted once the answers to those questions were yes. For some reason, he is the only person that speaks with a British accent in this entire movie, albeit a slight one.

While the premise is interesting enough, the movie itself failed to keep me engaged. It is filled with questionable choices and poor performances. The plot seemed rushed and it felt as though many of the performances were "called-in". Julianne Moore specifically, was not at the top of her game. Granted, with her Oscar Nomination, I doubt she really cares.

Just give me my Oscar!

The action sequences were fun and the effects were decent. But overall, this is one you could skip. At least until it's released on DVD. It's not the worst movie ever made, but it's far from good. It's lackluster on all fronts.

My Rating: 4/10