The last year has seen a renaissance for horror films. Not only have several franchises produced a ton of respectable entries, but also a large number of low-budget, standalone, indie horror films have taken the world by storm. One such horror movie that captured our imaginations came with the release of The Witch. However, now it seems that the film might not be as good as we previously thought. Check out the Cinema Sins below to watch The Witch get torn to pieces.
If you have ever seen a Cinema Sins video, then this should instantly feel familiar to you. In less than 14 minutes, the segment tallies off every single flaw in The Witch (and there are apparently many) coming to a grand total of 92 sins; this is a fairly ironic assessment given the incredibly Puritanical themes of the film. These errors range from the mundane (why does the titular witch feel the need to run and hide if she's all powerful?), to fairly major -- such as the fact that the movie has serious tendency to meander and rely on classic horror movie tropes like scary music and creepy children.
And then there's Black Phillip. Seriously we are so happy that this video took the time to point out how much of an asshole that demonic goat is throughout the entire run time of The Witch. Creepy animals have become staples of the horror movie genre over the years, but Black Phillip has to top the list of creepiest movie animals of all time.
If there's one distinct and valid criticism that the Cinema Sins video repeatedly makes, it's the fact that it's incredibly difficult to understand what the hell is going on during The Witch. Don't get me wrong, it's a pretty terrifying movie, but the authentic (somewhat overly so) accents make it quite difficult to even understand the dialogue. There's absolutely nothing wrong with striving for authenticity in a period piece, but we definitely take issue with a film that becomes almost incomprehensible in the process.
Of course, we should really note that this doesn't take away from the immensely positive critical reception that The Witch experienced when it hit theaters earlier this year. The film currently holds 91% Fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes, and it's widely considered to be one of the best horror films in recent memory. It's not exactly a mainstream horror film that appeals to the tastes of every horror fan, but it's also not trying to be.
What are your thoughts on this particular Cinema Sins video? Do you think that The Witch deserves this thrashing, or are the flaws pointed out in the video not worth acknowledging? Let us know what you think in the comments section below.
