Even as the tropes and techniques of “The Blair Witch Project” (whose creators, Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sanchez, have executive-producer credit here) have become routine fodder for parody, Wingard and Barrett largely eschew any “Scream 2”-style bracketing of the original film’s lore in a more ironically knowing universe.
A whole lot more than $60,000, the famously minuscule cost of the 1999 sleeper, has been spent on making “Blair Witch” look and feel as scrappily homemade as possible - faking it so real, so to speak - albeit with a little 21st-century help from drones, personal camera technology and a cracking, crunching studio sound mix that may just be the true star of the film.Īny viewers waiting for an ironic subversion of those basics, however, may be frustrated.
SYNOPSIS: After discovering a video showing what he believes to be his sister’s experiences in the demonic woods of the Blair Witch, James ( McCune) and a group of friends head to the forest in search of his lost sibling.A significantly more accomplished and entertaining sequel than 2000’s woeful cash-in “Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2,” “Blair Witch” nonetheless reps something of a missed opportunity from Wingard and writer Simon Barrett, who so deftly and wittily updated 1980s horror form in their terrific, thumbscrew-tight features “You’re Next” and “The Guest.” The very title of the new film augurs a back-to-basics approach, significantly inflated budget notwithstanding, and it delivers basics in spades: a clammy-handed fear of the dark, ambiguously sinister pagan-style iconography, and so many thumpingly executed jump scares that even the characters call for a respite. A solid and forgettable entry into their canon.ĬAST: James Allen McCune, Callie Hernandez, Corbin Reid, Brandon Scott, Wes Robinson, Valorie Curry Yet within a restricted framework, the pair cannot shine to their brightest. It’s impressive that they’ve been able to revive a franchise many thought would remain extinct.
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Wingard and Barrett deliver a short, sharp movie with scares, shocks and solid characters.
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Here’s to their next project, where the pair can shake free of the confines of a franchise. While that initial delivery shocks and scares, the aftertaste is somewhat unsatisfying. The film follows several of the beats of the 1999 original, and there’s only so much you can do within this framework. This isn’t about the film’s content but rather its existence. For a creative team renowned for such innovation, it’s an odd project to take. No one makes unexplained decisions, the protagonists all make rational moves, and the dialogue feels natural and realistic. Yet stepping back from the impressive, immediate shock of the film, there’s something unsettling about it all.
The most surprising element of this sequel is the strong characters. Now, it would be remiss to define this as a schlocky horror. The inventive touches are here too, with the use of drones and cameras on each protagonist to offer a more visual feature. Jump-cut audio and visuals, and unexpected twists, all make this a thrilling product. Wingard and Barrett know how to create horror, so the basics are strong throughout. So when they announced an unexpected tackling of Blair Witch – out of nowhere following a secretive production – anticipation was suitably high. Delivering the innovative horrors of You’re Next and The Guest, any project they move towards catches the eye like silver to a crow. Director Adam Wingard and writer Simon Barrett have fast carved out an impressive reputation.
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