Along with Ari Aster’s Hereditary, The Witch stands as one of the most known films of the post-Horror genre. It's a decidedly glum ‘n’ grim period drama- which is edged with creepy folklore elements, building distrust, and a few fleeting moments of all-out horror. Here from Second Sight is a dual format Blu Ray/ 4K UHD reissue of the film- featuring a director-supervised HDR grade print of the film( on the 4k disc), a good selection of new & archive extras, and a one hundred fifty paged hardback book- all packaged in a rigid slipcase with new artwork by Peter Diamond.
 

Released in 2015 The Witch(The VVitch: A New-England Folktale) was the first feature-length film from American filmmaker and production designer Robert Eggers- who has recently gone on to helm his first big-budget Norse mythology brutal action-adventure film The Northman.

The film is set in New England in the 1630s- with all of the dialogue spoken in old English, with a northern tilt. It focuses on a  staunchly Puritan family, who are banished from the town due to their beliefs and refusal to fall in line with the rest of the community. So, they decide to set up a smallholding on a seemingly isolated area of land just near some woods.

The family is led up by the gruff-if-caring William played by The Offices Ralph Ineson, who is married to stern and sullen Katherine(Kate Dickie). They have five children- on the cusp of adulthood Tomasin(Anya Taylor-Joy), moving towards teen boy Caleb(Harvey Scrimshaw), a pair of six-year-olds Mercy(Ellie Grainger) and Jonas(Lucas Dawson), and a babe in arms.
From the off it’s clear both the land they’ve selected, and William's talent for small holding is decidedly off. With the family having little or nothing to eat as the winter fasts approach. Added to this they may/ may not be something or someone in the woods.

I went to see The Witch when it first played on the big screen in 2016- having seen the trailer, and been most keen to see the film as I’d been a lifelong horror film. And I’ll have to say I came out of the film somewhat underwhelmed- as it wasn’t the horror film I was promised from the trailer- yes there were horror tropes/ tones present, but the picture played largely a stern and grim period drama. Re-visiting the film once again on this deluxe edition of the film, and now knowing full well to expect- my option on the film has slightly improved.  There is no doubt that at points Eggers builds a very tangible, if extremely low boiling feeling of dread and unease. When the horror elements fleeting appear- they are often jarring and mysterious, which of course enhances both the paranoia of the family and audience alike. The acting from all of the small cast is very accomplished, at times believable and harrowing. And lastly, the film's presentation of its realities- the family is slowly going mad, or they really is something supernatural at play is presented in a clever manner.

On the less positive side- the old English still feels clunky and overdone, some of the longer dwells in drama feel rather bland and drab, and the dread-filled atmosphere is sometimes built up- with little or no payoff. There’s no doubt Robert Eggers is a highly focused and historic detail set director, and this shines through with The Witch- the problem is, for me the script largely lacks an emotional punch- be that true dread/ fear & true gut-ripping sorrow. So in conclusion I still have decidedly mixed feelings about the film, but I certainly appreciate and respect more of what Eggers was trying to do here.

Moving onto this new double disc Blu Ray and 4K set. We were only sent the Blu-Ray disc for review- so I can’t comment on the HDR upgraded print. But the scan on the Blu-Ray looks very good. Moving onto the extras, which are the same on both discs, we get a new commentary from film writer and broadcaster Anna Bogutskaya. She starts off by talking about how the film plays with the audience's expectations from the off, and who/ what is the witch. She discusses the New England location- and its horror connection, be it writers, events, or the landscape. She talks about the historic groundings of fear of the woods. She chats about the director's in-depth research that took place for the film, and how he makes sure audiences can empathize with it.  Later on, she talks about the idea of witches in cinema and their use of deception- how it’s done in this film and others. We have a discussion about the flawed dynamics of the family. Comments on the bloodletting ceremony. She talks about the failure of the father, and his emotional constipation- and the final unravelling of the characters. On the whole, it’s a rewarding track, with some good observations/ points made.
Next, we get a good selection of new interviews. A Puritan Nightmare: director/ writer Robert Eggers(26.49) Embracing Darkness: actress Anya Taylor-Joy Love(13.49) Love Thy Father: actor Ralph Ineson(21.24) A Pious Wife:  actress Kate Dickie(14.31) Caleb’s Lament: actor Harvey Scrimshaw(7.06). And each of these gives a good insight into how each came to the project, and how it impacted their lives. 
On the archive side of things, we get a commentary track by the director. A Primal Folktale: featuring interviews with Robert Eggers and cast. BFI London Film Festival Q&A with Robert Eggers, Anya Taylor-Joy, Ralph Ineson and Producer Jay Van Hoy. Brothers: a short film by Robert Egger. So all in all a good selection of new and archive extras.

The finished release comes presented in a rigid slipcase. Which is presented with a one hundred fifty-page hardback book featuring new essays by Emerson W Baker, Daniel Bird, Anton Bitel, Charles Bramesco, Lillian Crawford, Shelagh Rowan-Legg and Anya Stanley plus stills, costume, and production design gallery. With the whole set is finished off with six collectors' art cards.

With this release, Second Sight really does offer up a very classy and definitive edition of The Witch. And while my personal feelings on the film remain largely unchanged, there is no doubt it’s a very well-made and conceived film- with the wonderful extras presented here really highlighting that. In finishing, if you have yet to see The Witch, approach it as primally a stern/ grim period drama with subtle horror tropes, and not an all-out horror film.