Personally, I can’t understand the negativity surrounding Adam Wingard and Simon Barrett’s Blair Witch, I thought it was freaking brilliant. It’s scary and witty, building on the mythology of the Blair Witch but still managing to pay homage to its 1999 predecessor. Each to his or her own, I suppose.
The film is not the flop many people are describing it as, but it did perform disappointingly when it opened to $9.6 million on its $5 million budget, in second place behind rom-com sequel Bridget Jones’s Baby. Yes, it grossed over what it cost to make, but it made less than Book of Shadows – that horrendous sequel from 2000 – which grossed $13 million in its opening weekend. Perhaps people are fearful that it will be as terrible as BoS and steered clear of Witchy frights this weekend. Readers, I assure you, it is 1000x better, so fear not of the disappointment, but of the evils that lurk in the Blair Witch’s house once again.
It’s a shame that Lionsgate will probably not venture into the woods again, but to be honest, Wingard and Barrett have done the found-footage franchise proud by ensuring it goes out with a bang, rather than a whimper.
Blair Witch is out now and it’s a must-see for horror fans. You can check out our 4-star review here.
Words: Jessy Williams (@JessyCritical)
