The Blair Witch Project: 7 Most Compelling Fan Theories

Why were Heather, Josh and Mike unable to locate their car? Why was no search party able to locate Heather, Josh and Mike? And why is the infamous murder house of Rustin Parr still standing when the young filmmakers stumble upon it in the final minutes of the film, despite it supposedly having been burned down many years previously? The only theory that seems to provide an answer to these questions is this: the group were somehow transported back to the 1940s at the time of Rustin Parr's serial killings.

Movie explanations involving time travel do feel like massive cop-outs, particularly in horror films. Time manipulation was more or less confirmed to be an ability of the Blair Witch in the naff 2016 update (and yes, that film also confirmed that there is indeed a witch - entirely missing the point of the original). Although many people agree that this theory makes the most sense, they felt insulted by having it spelled out to them in Adam Wingard's sequel. It was the ambiguity that made the original so terrifying.

Of course, this theory offers no explanation of why the filmmakers find themselves walking in circles, despite travelling in one direction for an entire day. Can she manipulate space as well as time?

Some fans go a step further, and argue that the whiny Lane fellow from the sequel travelled back in time to murder Heather, Josh and Mike. Personally, I refuse to view any aspect of the original mystery in relation to that abomination of a reboot.