10 Hit Horror Movies That DIDN'T Get Sequels

The two most common time periods for horror films to be set in are 1) modern day, and 2) Gothic Victorian England. So The Witch being set in early 17th century New England is immediately interesting, and gives the simple story of a witch in the woods an eerie authenticity.

Robert Eggers’ debut is a wonderfully frightening tale of a possession and paranoia. Critical reception was very positive, and it even grossed over ten times its $4 million budget. The film ends just as our protagonist Thomasin (Anya Taylor Joy) joins a coven of witches, so it would make perfect sense for a sequel to pick up where this film finishes. Further installments could take place hundreds of years later, with the coven tormenting families throughout history.

But there’s a sense of dread that lingers after The Witch ends. WItchcraft feels real. Thomasin’s manic, cackling ascension above the trees is scarier not a glorious rebirth but a terrible death. With that in mind, maybe The Witch is best left with the final image of Thomasin rising into the night sky as its chilling end.