Horror Movie Review: The Witch in the Window (2018)

The Witch in the Window is a supernatural horror film that was written and directed by Andy Mitton, it released in 2018 via Shudder. Simon and his troubled 12 year old son, Finn, head to a rural farmhouse with the intention of flipping the property. However, they soon encounter the vengeful spirit of the previous owner.

It’s immediately established that Simon and Finn’s mother have separated. He agrees to take Finn as he has been acting out and getting into trouble. When they arrive at the house, Simon explains his intention to flip the property. He plans to use this project as a way of reconnecting with his son. Also, it’s later revealed that he hopes to stay at the house and rekindle his relationship with this ex-wife.

It’s all going really well until Simon stops to have a conversation with a Greg, a local electrician. He explains the dark history of the house and the belief that it’s haunted. The previous occupier was an old woman named Lydia. She murdered her family and then sat in a chair overlooking the property. It is in that position that she died but her death would go undiscovered for many days. It’s a local legend that Lydia was a witch and can at times be seen staring out of the window.

Simon doesn’t take what Greg says too seriously. However, one day he & Finn are continuing their work when they do encounter Lydia. They attempt to slowly approach her but she scares them out of the house. Simon is determined to return and finish what he started. It soon becomes apparent that the more he repairs the house, the more powerful Lydia becomes.

On the surface, the premise doesn’t sound particularly original and it isn’t. However, it manages to put a unique spin on a tried and tested formula. The Witch in the Window isn’t just a great horror film, it’s a great film period. Firstly, the exchanges between Simon & Finn are genuinely endearing. Their dialogue and chemistry feels really genuine. I really enjoyed their performances. Alex Draper who plays Simon is just fantastic throughout. I really felt his desire to finish the house in the hopes of repairing his broken family.

Secondly, the cinematography is tremendous. Throughout the film, Lydia will appear in the corner or backgrounds of certain scenes. These are real blink and you’ll miss her moments. Catching a glimpse of her is highly effective and very unnerving. The scene in which she initially appears in her chair in front of Simon & Finn is excellent. It comes out of nowhere and is intensely creepy. I liked that Lydia wasn’t made to look particularly ghoulish or anything. The whole thing is really subtle and I found it much more effective that way. The horror elements are very restrained, which may irk some people.

Once things really get going there are a couple of twists that really got me. The Witch in the Window gave me chills but in all the right ways. Impressively, it manages to deliver some moments of light-heartedness in what is a very bleak tale. I was surprised to see so many people hating on this film online as I struggled to find aspects that I didn’t enjoy. Basically, if you’re hoping for balls to the wall blood, gore and in your face horror then look elsewhere. This is a highly atmospheric, subtle, slow burn ghost story with heart. You won’t find many cheap jump scares, just a highly effective sense of dread.

The conclusion is satisfying albeit rather sombre. However, it does leave you with far too many questions.

Overall, The Witch in the Window takes a generic concept and executes it almost to perfection.




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The Witch in the Window
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