20 Best Indie Movies Of 2016
3. The Witch
Robert Eggers’ directorial debut The Witch was a dazzlingly unnerving one indeed. Set in 17th New England, the period horror tells the tale of a Puritan family living out in the sticks whose peaceful, pious existence is torn apart by black magic and satanic forces.
Anya Taylor-Joy shines in her breakout performance as eldest daughter Thomasin, accused by her family of witchcraft after her infant sibling is snatched while under her care, and the film scooped Eggers a Directing Award for Best US Dramatic film after its Sundance premiere in 2015.
It’s a different kind of movie than most horror fans are used to with a focus on a creeping sense of doom rather than a rapid-fire succession of guts and gore, which earned it a few naysayers. Nevertheless, its slow-burning plot builds to a satisfyingly shocking ending that’s both violent and chilling.