THE WITCH

(2015) Set in 1630's New England, The Witch opens with the devoutly-Christian family of William and Katherine and their four children (Katherine pregnant with the fifth) being excommunicated from their community, evidently through some conflict with the church's Puritan beliefs.  Finding their own plot of land near a large, dense patch of woods, the family builds a home and life, Katherine giving birth to her third son ... but when the infant goes missing while in the care of eldest daughter Thomasin (an impressive Anya Taylor-Joy), the viewer is "treated" to a glimpse of the very dark presence living in the neighboring woods, and why the baby was taken.  This incident sparks a turn of very bad luck for the family, including failing crops and suspicion of Thomasin being possessed or practicing witchery ... and in fact by far the film's greatest strength is the intense, foreboding paranoia of those times regarding demonic possession and witchcraft.  The film feels 100% authentic, the 17th-century language and costumes ... the film's stark, colorless wilderness as the family begins to unravel/turn against each other building up tension in a slow-burn way that may not appeal to modern-day horror film fans who like their movies fast-paced and loaded with blood.  As the presence in the woods gets closer the film just got creepier and creepier, right up to about the last fifteen minutes that - to me - would make any person of faith squirm openly in his or her seat.  Not for everyone, but I love horror movies that mess with my head over trying to gross me out any day, so was able to buy into The Witch the whole way.  (rated R)  9/10 stars