10 Best A24 Horror Films

When a Puritan family settles near an ominous forest, a demonic entity threatens to tear them apart.

The Witch wastes no time confirming that the supernatural threat is real. There may be a witch out in the woods bathing in baby’s blood, but it’s the family’s religious zealotry and emotional baggage that becomes their downfall. They turn on each other and put much of the blame for their grim situation on eldest daughter Thomasin, whose burgeoning sexuality makes her an easy target for a witch hunt.

While the family is the film’s primary focus, director Robert Eggers never lets you forget there’s a sinister force on the fringes. The gloomy cinematography creates a bleak, decaying atmosphere, while the possessed-looking animals and dissonant score build an overwhelming sense of dread.

But the most impressive element of Eggers’ direction is his keen eye for historical accuracy. You can feel the authenticity and painstaking research in every piece of the production design, and the cast of lesser-known actors makes the archaic English dialogue sound natural.

The entire ensemble is strong, but Anya Taylor-Joy makes her mark as Thomasin. The girl’s arc fuels the story’s thematic conflict, and Taylor-Joy’s subtle performance gets the audience invested in her desire for independence, even if there’s a terrible price to pay.