The Witch is a 2015 horror movie that takes place in New England in 1630 and is based on New England myths and folklore.

The movie begins with a family leaving the safety of their village and going into an unsettled part of the country. Their crops begin to fail, and as Thomasin, (Anya Taylor-Joy), the oldest child, is watching the newborn baby Samuel, he mysteriously disappears. We see that there is someone living in the woods who has taken the baby and kills it. This is the witch that is the namesake of the movie.

Meanwhile, William and his second child, Caleb (Harvey Scrimshaw), who is his oldest son, go into the woods to set traps against Katherine, the family’s mother’s, wishes. Katherine never wanted any of their family to go into the woods because she believes that they won’t come back out if they go in. During this time, the two youngest children, Mercy (Ellie Grainger) and Jonas (Lucas Dawson) are talking to Black Philip, a troublesome black goat.

Caleb is eventually killed by this mysterious entity, and the family falls further into chaos as Mercy and Jonas accuse Thomasin of being a witch and bringing everything upon the family. Thomasin retaliates by telling her father that she isn’t the one who is a witch and that Mercy and Jonas brought the misfortune because the twins are the ones who talked to Black Philip and made a pact with the Devil.

The ending leaves something to be wanted. There is violence and some nudity, and the movie is rated R, so it’s definitely not suitable to watch with small children.

The plot for the most part calls upon modern-day struggles that many of us face or relate to – getting along with our family and trying to find a place in society.

This movie gets three out of five Spurs.