The Witch(2016)
2016 · Robert Eggers · 92 min
In 1630, a farmer relocates his family to a remote plot of land on the edge of a forest where strange, unsettling things happen. With suspicion and paranoia mounting, each family member's faith, loyalty and love are tested in shocking ways.
Horror · Drama · Mystery · Fantasy · Thriller
7.07.9k votes
TMDB score
4/5
Intensity
2/5
Gore
5/5
Stays with you
How The Witch scares
Dread builds so slowly and quietly that you might not notice how tense you've become until it's too late to relax. The pace is patient and deliberate, with long stretches of unease, strange whispers, and off-feeling family dynamics rather than sudden shocks. Fear here comes from paranoia, guilt, and the sense that something is watching and slowly closing in, not from things jumping out at you. It's a heavy, unsettling watch best suited for people who like their horror slow, moody, and thought-provoking rather than fun and jumpy.
On The Horror Database's 0–5 scare profile, The Witch rates psychological 5/5, visceral 2/5, gore 2/5, lingering effect 5/5, and overall intensity 4/5.
- Psychological: 5 of 5
- Visceral: 2 of 5
- Gore: 2 of 5
- Lingering: 5 of 5
- Intensity: 4 of 5
Slow burn vs Jump scares: 8 of 100 — leans Slow burn
Supernatural vs Real-world: 15 of 100 — leans Supernatural
Fun-scary vs Disturbing: 78 of 100 — leans Disturbing
Intensity over runtime
Shape only — no eventsReveal pacing shapeHide pacing shapeHidden by default — shows where the tension peaks and lets up.
A slow, creeping unease that simmers quietly for most of the runtime before building to an intense, unrelenting finish.
Intensity across the runtime, 0 to 100: 1, 1, 2, 2, 2, 3, 2, 3, 3, 4, 4, 5.
How scary is The Witch?
On The Horror Database's 0–5 intensity scale, The Witch rates 4/5 — one of the more punishing watches in the catalog, building its fear through slow-burn dread rather than shocks. The fear is mostly in your head — it unsettles far more than it assaults. Expect it to be moderately gory and genuinely disturbing. Expect it to stay with you for days.
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