For Your (Re)Consideration: 10 Years Later, Robert Eggers’ The Witch Shows Some Cracks

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As a critic, whenever I see A24 and Robert Eggers attached to a project, I instantly know I’m in for something special – especially if it leans towards horror. But before he tackled films like a fresh take on Nosferatu or the epic The Northman, Eggers really burst onto the scene with his first feature, The Witch, which is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year. It’s the film that first showed us what he was capable of, and it’s still incredibly striking.

When it was first released, the movie sharply divided opinions, with many viewers finding it too slow-paced and lacking in scares – a result of perhaps unrealistic expectations. Now, ten years later, the film is finally receiving the acclaim it merits, though even with time, some flaws are noticeable. While it’s a truly great movie, it isn’t perfect, with certain plot points feeling rushed and one performance not quite hitting the mark.

The Witch Is Still A Thematically Engaging Tale With Some Of The Wrong Unsettling Imagery

Set in the 1630s, The Witch follows an English Puritan family of six – William and Katherine, their teenage daughter Thomasin, young son Caleb, and twin babies Mercy and Jonas. After being forced to leave their community due to disagreements about religion, they start a new life in the remote forests of New England, where they build a home and begin to farm, adding a cornfield, a goat pen, and eventually, a new baby named Samuel.

The story gains momentum when Samuel is snatched away while Thomasin is watching him. At first, the family believes a wolf took their newborn baby, but they soon discover a witch was responsible. While grieving the loss of their son, the family also experiences unsettling events on their farm – animals fall ill, and the children start acting strangely. These hardships push the family’s bonds and their religious beliefs to the limit.

By looking at the historical period through the style of folk horror, director Eggers makes every detail of The Witch‘s setting feel incredibly real and believable. Despite a small budget, the Puritan settlement seems impressively large, the family’s house feels chillingly cold as their situation worsens, and the nearby forest is as frightening as any supernatural threat.

Eggers skillfully weaves complex themes into the simple story of a family burdened by a curse. The film immediately asks us to feel sorry for the family’s exile, but cleverly withholds the reason for their banishment. This mystery is important later on, as the story explores the family’s strong religious beliefs and whether William and Kate are overly influenced by strict, traditional Puritan values, ultimately making their situation even more disturbing.

The film The Witch powerfully demonstrates this through its main character, Thomasin, played by Anya Taylor-Joy. While her struggles with her parents initially seem like typical teenage rebellion, a closer look reveals a deeply suppressed young woman. She desires independence and a life beyond her family’s expectations, but she lacks any clear aspirations or a plan to break free from their control.

Despite its strong themes, certain parts of the film The Witch haven’t aged well. The movie relies heavily on nudity, which feels exploitative and unsettling rather than serving the story. This includes uncomfortable scenes like the witch touching Samuel after abducting him, and Caleb’s inappropriate thoughts about his sister. These moments feel particularly awkward when viewed today.

Some of the ideas in The Witch feel underdeveloped and don’t quite land with the weight they deserve. Things like the twins seemingly practicing witchcraft themselves, Caleb’s worries about what happens after death, and the quick appearance of a larger group of witches all feel a bit incomplete. It’s unclear if director Robert Eggers intentionally left these elements ambiguous to spark discussion, or if he simply ran out of time within the movie’s 92-minute length.

Looking back at The Witch after all these years, what really strikes me is how incredibly strong the entire cast is, not just Anya Taylor-Joy, Ralph Ineson, and Kate Dickie. Anya’s first film role is just stunning – you can see right away why she’s become a huge star, with so much subtlety in her performance. Ralph and Kate brilliantly portray the different ways grief and lost faith can break a person down. Harvey Scrimshaw as Caleb is good, especially when he’s portraying that possessed feeling, but sometimes his performance feels a little bit rigid and closed off.

Even with a few minor flaws, Robert Eggers’ first film, The Witch, is remarkably impressive. It immediately creates a chilling atmosphere through its unique visuals and realistic production design, and it expertly blends thought-provoking ideas with genuinely frightening moments. It’s a masterclass in folk horror and remains a strong influence for filmmakers even ten years later.

The Witch is available to stream on HBO Max.

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2026-02-20 01:09