The Witch in the Window (2018)
An estranged father and his son move out to the country after he buys an old property he aims to do up to then sell. It's not long before a neighbour arrives and tells them about the history of the house and how it's not a good place to make a home. (No spoilers, sorry)
As much a story of building relationships as it is a horror film, The Witch in the Window is one of the best acted genre films i can remember seeing. Alex Draper (as the father) and Charlie Tacker (his 12 year old son) are so believable as characters and their conversations so realistic that you'll root for them all the way, in fact it's rare to see a chemistry this good in a horror film.
The horror when it comes isn't bangs and crashes and jump scares trying to catch you out, it's slow burning stuff that creeps into your veins, gradually becoming more chilling as the slender running time of 73 minutes progresses and reality becomes fractured in a haze of haunting images that genuinely gave me goose bumps at one point.
It's beautifully filmed and the camera lingers where others would give you jump scare glimpses, in fact one of the best scenes involves a camera slowly, silently, moving along a landing to a chair facing a window. It's simply composed but oh so unsettling at the same time.
I really enjoyed The Witch in the Window, it's as good a horror piece as i've seen in a long time.
|