Movies: Buzz Worthy or Buzzer?
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We will review many of the top movies being released today. Our goal is to let you know whether a new release is worth the "Buzz" or needs to get hit with the "Buzzer." We will rate each film on a scale of 1-5 Buzz's. If a film only gets 1 Buzz, it's a "Buzzer" and you should avoid it like a zombie neck licking contest. Enjoy the show!
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You can search for other movie reviews by just typing movie review in the search feature in the right sidebar.
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Movie Review: The Witch
by Jeff Owens
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It took a lot of work watching The Witch. Its 1600's setting is authentic as I imagine it could be, including the language spoken by the New England family tormented by witchcraft. I never quite fell into a groove where I completely understood what the characters were saying. Rather than immerse me into the story, it distracted me from it. It was one contributing factor that made me admire the movie, but not necessarily love it.
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I do admire The Witch a great deal. Besides the sound, the look is unique and a character of its own. The sun never quite shines on the murky gray homestead on the edge of the woods. While the exterior shots are huge with the action sometimes taking place only at the very bottom corner of the screen, the interior shots are small and claustrophobic. However, both are menacing. From beginning to end, you never know when and where terror will strike.
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Perhaps it will happen in what comes closest to broad daylight, as blossoming young lady Thomasin (Anya Taylor-Joy) plays peek-a-boo with her baby brother. Or, perhaps it will happen deep in the woods, where thin trees stretch high into the sky, their gangly limbs forming a web. Or, perhaps it will happen in the barn, where bad children suspected of evil things are locked late at night. The dread is palpable in every frame.
While there is a terrifying physical payoff, the consistent horror comes from the mental anguish of the family. Remember that during this period, the smallest of white lies is considered a sin. Harboring them is enough to tear a family apart. It's interesting that as the effects of keeping secrets within the family grow larger, so does the threat of danger from outside the family. Also, while no one questions that there is in fact a witch, they look for it internally before externally.
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The Witch is a smart horror film that doesn't rely on jump scares. However, its moments of pure terror are nevertheless sudden. I wouldn't characterize it as a "slow burn," but it definitely snowballs, becoming increasingly scarier as it proceeds. By its bizarre final scene, you truly don't know what to expect, but you know it can't be good. This is not a movie that's going to have a happy ending, yet it's still exhilarating.
I definitely recommend you see The Witch. However, you must first understand what you're really going to get. When you strip it of its skin, it offers the familiar trappings of a traditional horror movie; however, that skin is so thick that you may not recognize it as such. You will likely leave the theater thinking you've never seen anything like it. It's this experience I respect: looking at it from outside. I just wish it had grabbed me and pulled me inside.
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As I conclude, I wonder why it didn't do that for me, and there's one thing that bothers me about the way the story unfolds. This isn't a spoiler: from early in the movie, we know there's a witch in the woods. We see it. Therefore, there is never a question about the threat coming from anywhere else. Had that been more of a mystery, perhaps it would have been a more immersive experience. I would have felt what the family was feeling, rather than only observing.
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Buzz Score:
The Witch = 4 out of 5 
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Jeff Owens
Jeff, a graduate of Enid High School, is the Managing Editor and Senior Movie Critic of Boom Howdy, an entertainment and web culture site featuring news, movies, podcasts, comedy and gaming.
Jeff is also the Movie Buzz Guy for Enid Buzz and a member of the Kansas City Film Critics Circle. Email Jeff Here or follow his Twitter Page.
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