The Witch (2015)

"First Class Presentation of a Modern Classic"

Robert Eggers' tale of folk horror and insanity in seventeenth century New England is gets a thoroughly deserved whistles and bells 4K UHD and Blu-ray release from Second Sight.

1630. Following what seems to be a religious disagreement, former Yorkshire farmer William (Ralph Ineson) and his family face banishment by the church and is forced to leave the community in which they have been living to relocate to the middle of nowhere. Scarcely have they had time to build a small compound and plant crops than disaster strikes in the form of the disappearance of Samuel, the youngest of their four children.

But that's only the beginning. As food becomes scarce, the corn they are growing becomes diseased, and pressures augmented by severe religious convictions become unbearable, there's rumour of a witch that lives in the woods, and is the family's black goat beginning to behave strangely?

Back in 2015 THE WITCH was one of my top ten of the year, where I called it 'Ken Loach makes THE CRUCIBLE' and indeed, in one of the extras on Second Sight's packed disc Robert Eggers says he wanted a film that was as if Mr Loach had gone back to the 17th century to direct a film. It's a claustrophobic, grim and unrelenting tale of an isolated family torn apart as much by their own religious beliefs as anything that may or may not be lurking in the cold damp woods and can be read in many levels, all of them pretty devastating, and all of them with the message that no matter how bad a situation might seem, having religion can make it ten times worse.

Second Sight's double disc set comes stacked with new interviews. A Puritan Nightmare is 26 minutes with Robert Eggers who amongst other things discusses writing the film, location scouting and casting. Embracing Darkness is 13 minutes with Anya Taylor-Joy whose first film this was and who still feels she hasn't come down from the experience ("I went to Sundance and never came home").

Ralph Ineson's 21 minute interview includes some entertaining stories about Charlie the goat 'actor' and who would have thought it was his role as Finchie in The Office that made Robert Eggers want him for the role? If Ineson has the goat tales, Kate Dickie has plenty to say about her scene with the raven while Harvey Scrimshaw rounds things out with seven minutes of memories about making the movie.

Also on the disc are the BFI Q&A from when the film premiered at the LFF. Taing part are Eggers, Ineson, Taylor-Joy and producer Jan Van Hoy, an archival featurette with on-set interviews, and Robert Eggers' ten minute short BROTHERS which he was encouraged to make to show investors he could 'do scary forests'.

The package also includes a 150 page hardback book (not provided for review) and collectors' art cards all housed in a rigid slipcase. More sterling work from Second Sight.

Robert Eggers' THE WITCH is out in a special limited edition 4K UHD and Blu-ray edition from Second Sight on 

Monday 25th July 2022