THE VVITCH: A NEW-ENGLAND FOLKTALE (2015)

Summary:

Set in 17th-century New England, "The VVitch: A New-England Folktale" is a chilling and atmospheric folk horror film that meticulously recreates the oppressive religious fervor and superstitious paranoia of the era. The story follows a devout Puritan family, banished from their plantation community, as they attempt to establish a new life on the edge of a foreboding wilderness. Their isolated existence is shattered by a series of increasingly sinister events, beginning with the mysterious disappearance of their infant son, Samuel, leading them to believe they are under the spell of dark forces lurking in the nearby woods.

As their crops fail and their livestock turn malevolent, the family's deep-seated faith begins to unravel, giving way to suspicion, fear, and mutual accusations of witchcraft. The eldest daughter, Thomasin, becomes the primary target of their escalating paranoia, forcing her to confront not only the external threats but also the internal decay of her family unit. Director Robert Eggers crafts a terrifying narrative that blurs the line between psychological torment and supernatural horror, culminating in a profoundly disturbing exploration of faith, sin, and the seductive power of evil.

Keywords: The VVitch, 2015, Anya Taylor-Joy, Ralph Ineson, Kate Dickie, Folk Horror, Supernatural Horror, Period Drama.

Plot:

The film opens in 1630 New England, where William, a devout Puritan farmer, stands before a tribunal of his plantation community. Accused of "prideful conceit" and refusing to conform to the settlement's religious doctrine, William and his family – wife Katherine, teenage daughter Thomasin, adolescent son Caleb, and younger twins Mercy and Jonas, along with infant Samuel – are excommunicated. They depart with their meager belongings, settling on a remote, isolated patch of land at the edge of a vast, dark forest. Their new home consists of a small, rudimentary farm, a testament to their self-reliance and unwavering faith in God's providence, despite their exile.

Life on the isolated farm is arduous. One fateful morning, Thomasin is playing peek-a-boo with her infant brother Samuel near the edge of the woods. In a brief moment when her eyes are covered, Samuel vanishes without a trace. The family's frantic search yields nothing but a chilling sense of dread. Unknown to them, a witch, dwelling deep within the forest, has abducted the infant, brutally murdered him, and used his fat to create a flying ointment. This horrifying act immediately casts a pall of terror and suspicion over the family, shattering their fragile sense of security and setting the stage for their descent into madness and despair.

The disappearance of Samuel marks the beginning of a series of misfortunes. Their crops fail, and their goat, Black Phillip, becomes increasingly aggressive and unsettling. William, desperate to provide for his family, takes Caleb hunting, but their efforts are fruitless. William confesses to Caleb that he traded Katherine's prized silver cup for hunting traps, a secret he begs Caleb to keep from his mother. This act of deception, born of desperation, further strains the family's already tenuous bonds and introduces a seed of guilt and distrust. Katherine, consumed by grief for Samuel, spends her days weeping and praying, convinced that God is punishing them for their sins, and increasingly suspicious of Thomasin.

Caleb, feeling the weight of his family's suffering and his mother's despair, resolves to prove himself. He takes his musket and ventures deep into the forbidden woods alone, hoping to hunt for food. Thomasin, fearing for his safety and perhaps feeling a sense of responsibility, follows him. While separated, Caleb stumbles upon a beautiful, seemingly innocent young woman in the woods, only to realize too late that she is the witch, who seduces him with a kiss before revealing her true, horrifying form. Thomasin, searching for Caleb, finds their horse gravely injured and its eyes pecked out, a clear sign of malevolent interference. She flees back to the farm in terror, leaving Caleb to the witch's clutches.

Caleb eventually returns to the farm, naked, feverish, and seemingly possessed. His body is contorted, his eyes glazed, and he speaks in tongues, spouting blasphemous verses and confessing his love for Jesus before succumbing to violent seizures. The family, horrified, attributes his condition to witchcraft and demonic influence. They hold him down, praying frantically, believing they are fighting for his soul. Caleb's final moments are marked by an agonizing convulsion, during which he chokes on a whole, un-chewed apple, a symbol of original sin, and dies. His death intensifies the family's paranoia, and they begin to openly accuse Thomasin, seeing her as the most likely source of the evil that has befallen them.

The accusations against Thomasin escalate. The twins, Mercy and Jonas, claim to speak with Black Phillip, accusing Thomasin of being a witch and consorting with the goat. Katherine, grief-stricken and increasingly irrational, echoes their accusations, remembering Thomasin's earlier playful jest about being the witch of the wood. William, though initially hesitant, is swayed by the mounting evidence and the terrifying events. He locks Thomasin in the goat shed with the twins, believing she might be the cause of their torment. Inside the shed, Thomasin confronts Mercy and Jonas, who taunt her with their claims of speaking to Black Phillip. Suddenly, a dark, unseen force violently throws the twins around the shed, leaving them unconscious and terrified, further cementing Thomasin's belief that something truly evil is at play.

William, in a desperate attempt to protect his family and perhaps prove his own piety, tries to chop wood but is gored by Black Phillip, who skewers him with his horns. William lies dying, impaled, and as he bleeds out, he confesses his sins to Thomasin, admitting his pride and deceit, and begging her to forgive him and save her mother. Thomasin, traumatized, is left alone with her dying father and the unconscious twins. Meanwhile, Katherine, driven to madness by grief and terror, awakens. She finds William's body and, in a fit of rage and sorrow, attacks Thomasin, blaming her for everything. A violent struggle ensues, culminating in Thomasin accidentally stabbing Katherine with a small hand axe, killing her. Thomasin is now completely alone, the sole survivor of her family, surrounded by death and the encroaching darkness.

As dawn breaks, Thomasin finds the twins, Mercy and Jonas, gone, their clothes strewn on the ground. She is utterly alone. Black Phillip, the sinister goat, appears before her, speaking in a deep, resonant, seductive voice – the voice of the Devil. He offers her a life free from the drudgery and oppression of her Puritan existence, promising her "butter and bread and a warm fire" and the chance to "live deliciously." He demands she sign her name in his book. Terrified but utterly broken and without hope, Thomasin agrees. She strips naked, following Black Phillip into the dark woods. There, she finds a coven of witches gathered around a bonfire. As she approaches, she begins to levitate, laughing maniacally as she joins the coven in their ritual, ascending into the night sky, finally embracing the dark power that had tormented her family and ultimately liberated her from her earthly suffering. The film ends with Thomasin's chilling, triumphant laughter, signaling her complete surrender to the forces of evil and her rebirth as a witch.

Cast (Lead Roles):

• Anya Taylor-Joy as Thomasin
• Ralph Ineson as William
• Kate Dickie as Katherine
• Harvey Scrimshaw as Caleb
• Ellie Grainger as Mercy
• Lucas Dawson as Jonas

Crew:

• Director: Robert Eggers
• Writer: Robert Eggers
• Producer: Jay Van Hoy, Lars Knudsen, Jodi Redmond, Daniel Bekerman
• Cinematography: Jarin Blaschke
• Film Editing: Louise Ford
• Music by: Mark Korven

Release Info:

• Original Release Date: January 27, 2015 (Sundance Film Festival) / February 19, 2016 (United States)
• Language: English
• Genre: Folk Horror, Supernatural Horror, Period Drama
• Running Time: 92 minutes
• Accolades: Robert Eggers won Best Director at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival; numerous nominations and awards for breakthrough performances and best horror film.