"The Witch" - a Christian take

So I'm both a Christian and an avid horror movie fan. Horror movies in my view provide the best social commentary in films today and are in general the best at getting people to think, especially with introspection.

I had been fairly excited about the witch from its early trailers and reviews. I was slightly turned away by the satanic temple endorsement but decided to go see it anyway. Keep in mind for anyone unaware the satanic temple is an agnostic group and not actual devil worshipers.

This will serve as my review/take from a Christian perspective and I will keep potential spoilers hidden.

First off on a pure movie viewers standpoint I would give the film a 7/10. I enjoyed it but as far as theater going movies go I think I would have enjoyed it more at home. The movie takes itself almost too seriously for a theater viewing to do it justice. Home alone in the dark would have been far better. The production of the movie is top notch and the acting is all on point. It is highly disturbing at points and is able to get under your skin. I enjoy that the more time that passes since my viewing the more I enjoyed it and the better take away I have. As a Christian there are certain films that I have a hard time watching due to blatantly anti-Christian messages, however these are few and far between. I do not find this movie to be that way either. I think this film can be viewed and a Christian can have as good a takeaway as a non-believer. I feel that many of the best movies do this excellently and allow people from all view points to question themselves and what the film means for them. The witch does an excellent job in leaving itself open for interpretation.

The movie can have 2 very different takeaways depending on how deep you look. At 1 level the movie presents religion as restrictive, oppressive, and dangerous. Or if you dive a little deeper you see it presents strict religious legalism as the real danger. I would certainly tend to agree with the second. In addition, the movie provided a great period piece view on beliefs and legends that helped to build up to the many atrocities religious believers committed against suspected witches in the 17th century. A word of caution though the film is extremely bleak and hopeless and because of this many Christians could walk away with a very negative view of the film. I would tend to disagree and think there is a different takeaway Christian viewers can pull from the film. To get into this takeaway it will dive into full movie spoilers and thematic spoilers so if you plan to see it yourself you will want to avoid until afterwards.

[Spoilers](/s "My biggest take away take away is one that dives into the film on a 3rd level. In one sense the film presents a almost "Screwtape Letters" like view of how the devil can work at not just attacking individual weaknesses but how these views can be exploited to destroy a family. Each family member is slowly attacked based on their apparent weaknesses and this ends up turning the family against each other until all except the teenage daughter is dead. She then goes and speaks with the family goat who 2 younger children had been "talking" with earlier she talks repeatedly asking the goat to anwser and finally a chilling voice responds and walks her through signing his book and how he will let her fully experience the world. This could be taken as her being "freed" from religion but it also presents a darkly frightening view of Satan that that seems terrifyingly realistic in the earthly pleasures he can offer. She accepts his offer and joins the other witches in the woods as they begin to levitate. As a Christian I think this movie can be viewed as a cautionary tale of how pride, lust, grief, and love for the wrong things can be used to drive a wedge between us and Christ and ultimately lead us to destruction with the consequences of our actions. It also shows a frightening view of evil that surrounds us on this earth but works much more craftily and hidden then in the film. However, it should remind us of the realness and power of the enemy".)

So that's my 2 cents as a Christian. Any other thoughts from anyone who may have seen the movie?