When I saw The VVitch back in 2016 I admit that I was not the biggest fan of it. Looking back at the ★★ rating I gave it I admit that I was way too harsh on the movie, and I'm excited to revisit it one day. In general, I admire the craft and talent that Robert Eggers puts on display, but I think his style is simply not for me. I admire The Lighthouse for a variety of reasons, but don't see myself revisiting this project.

From a technical standpoint, this movie is astonishing. The aspect ratio, sound mixing, sound editing, and set design are near perfect. The commitment that Eggers displays to the authenticity of the time periods is breath taking, although admittedly I do think that the dialect can be hard to understand sometimes in his films. That is a testament to his dedication and the impeccable performances on display here. Dafoe and Pattinson put on a hell of a show; I wouldn't be surprised to see them both nominated and to see Dafoe take home Best Supporting Actor. The screenplay walks a fine line between being pretentious, comedic, thrilling, and dramatic. It's well balanced in terms of tone, and I found the film to be surprisingly funny.

As for what I didn't like, I can't deny that this film drags. Too slow in the first act, an incredibly long second act, and a third act that didn't quite deliver for me. It's an incredibly slow-burn, and while I am able to admire so much of it, I simply wasn't invested into the story. I liked the metaphors, allegories, and messages on display here, but I wasn't that into the movie. The framing of the shots was incredible, but the camera was out of focus several times. This started to bother me, specially in some of the key scenes of the movie. The score, whilst haunting and nearly ethereal, had this one noise in it that made me think Kaijus were about to come out of the ocean.

This one is for film buffs and I am glad that I saw it. It's awesome to see ingenuity and original ideas on screen, and while I may not fully click with his style, Eggers delivers something that is worth seeing every time. Excited to see what else Eggers comes up with and to revisit The VVitch.... Maybe this one too.

74/100