The Witch

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“A family in 1630s New England is torn apart by the forces of witchcraft, black magic and possession.”

Even the most pius fall. The Witch was derived from carious fold tales found in colonial New England. The director took the time to research every detail possible to make not only the scenery and costuming authentic, but down to the language dialect that would have been used. It’s the things like this that make an excellent movie.

Fear is at the forefront rather than the “witch” being seen very often. The puritanical family is isolated and when the thought of a poor crop bringing in a winter with no food is coupled with sudden grief, the family seems to implode.

Is this “witch of the woods” to blame for this? I have to jump right into spoilers here. Sorry!

SPOILERS FROM THIS POINT.

It may appear from the abduction and murder of the infant son to the seduction and seemingly enchanted state of the eldest son that there is indeed witchcraft abound, but you may want to take a second look.

During the scenes where William is attempting to harvest corn, it seems to all be dead or dying. But that’s not all. It also seems to have some sort of mold on it. This is non other than Ergot – a hallucinogen. Could their puritanical isolation mixed with this to create a group hallucination?

Or was the black goat really making deals for the Devil?