4) The Witch (dir. Robert Eggers)
Yes. Robert Eggers’ colonial debut is 100% a horror movie. Don’t tell me otherwise. I already wrote a lengthy response to the horror community’s confusing debate about genre classification re: The Witch. You will not change my mind. Witches in pioneer times can’t be proven or disavowed, much like how frontiersman had to make deductions on their own. Was a witch really cursing their land, or was it just bad weather? Times were simpler, people were impressionable and answers were needed – thus hitting on the psychological significance of The Witch.
Performances are key to Eggers’ success, as period aesthetics remains priority number one. Dialogue exists only as English settlers would have spouted it, keeping themes grounded in history. Anya Taylor-Joy (previously mentioned) constantly keeps us guessing about her claims of innocence, while her family airs on the side of caution in quite a leap of faith. It’s a simple question – are witches real or not? Eggers has his opinions, but the film itself is a ravenous guessing game that casts a tense spell on audiences. “Weird” accents and all.