From the start, I should admit I was distracted whilst watching this Blu Ray as I was completing a painting in the living room at the same time. Poor show Film Cricket, poor show. Nevertheless missing a few scenes and parts of dialogue did not dilute the feeling or impression of the film.

The acting, dialogue and cinematography create as close a feeling of being around the New World in the 1600s as is possible from my limited knowledge of that history. The film seems instilled with a stifling, suffocating feeling as it progresses – this is helped by the washed-out filter used which be any annoying affectation but seeing the scenery in bright greens and so forth would diminish from the atmosphere that the director was trying to purvey.

What type of story this is can be put up for debate. Do you take it literally or is it more psychological and the events as seen by damaged psychotics, coupled with effects of mould on corn (as the makers hinted at)? Certainly, for the subject matter you must say it is a horror film but possible horror with a small ‘h’ and without jump scares and shock-gore. All for the good too. The story leaves enough room for each viewer to make their own minds up. That’s not to say plot strands are left hanging and unresolved, they are not, but how you get there can be interpreted in different ways. Not wildly different but different.

The main actors, which is basically the family, all play their roles well, Ralph Ineson, late of The Office, is extremely believable as the family matriarch and equally as impressive is Anya Taylor-Joy in her first film role. There are small sections of shouty-actorly-histrionics but truth be told this does fit in with the style of the film and is probably in context.

As the oppressive feeling closes in on the viewer and life for the family gets stranger and scarier we are treated to stranger events and more obscure and strange events but do they happen or is it illusion – who knows, you have to come to your own conclusion. Therein lies the rub for this film, the less patient, the less a person likes slow-burning, thoughtful films, the less this person is going to enjoy the film. For those of us you are sick to death of gore-porn, exploding buildings and seemingly invincible humans this is a refreshing drink.

The Witch as rough edges and in places the pace and story sags and creaks but the style, acting and story itself repairs these weaknesses for most viewers. The direction, acting and cinematography are top notch and the world that they have created is believably 17th century and it is believable that perhaps supernatural evil influences permeate throughout the land.

All in all The Witch is different, dark and disturbing. Slow to burn, that will frustrate a lot of modern audience members, but effective in the atmosphere it creates this film hits the targets it is aiming at more than it misses.