Blair Witch Review: 7 Ups And 3 Downs

2. The Woods

Lionsgate could have used any fake title they wanted for Blair Witch, but wound up going with the incredibly bland "The Woods", which is about as dry as an autumnal leaf. It did fit with Wingard's previous - You're Next had some verve, but The Guest was very much a genre teasing title - but now knowing it was all a cover it seems like a missed opportunity.

That is until you consider how much a part those woods play in the film. They're not just the key connective tissue to the original, but an oppressive presence trapping the heroes. It'd be customary to say they're a "character", but really it's more apt to describe them as the film's monster's "weapon".

The thick, green leaves (this is set at the other end of the calendar to the first) become symbols of the unknown, in torch light gnarled fingers trying to pull you off the beaten path. One kill scene using falling trees, and the existential dread comes from the felled canopy is suffocating.