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Several years after the events of The Blair Witch Project, James stumbles upon an online video that he believes shows his sister, Heather, alive. Determined to find her, he recruits a group of friends, including documentarian Lisa (Callie Hernandez). What they find, though, might be more than what they came for.
I've been a huge fan of The Blair Witch Project ever since I saw it in theaters (see my previous review), and let's say I was "a bit" disappointed with Blair Witch 2: Book of Shadows. So I wasn't really clamoring for another sequel; I don't think it's necessary. But fate had it for me to eventually check it out.
Even though it follows the "found footage" format, Blair Witch doesn't really feel like that. It feels like a film shot with handheld cameras, which is my way of saying that the "found footage" element doesn't feel as organic or as realized as the original. In addition, the performances from most of the actors, although not bad, feel like performances. So, overall, that sense of naturality that was present all through the original is missing here.
Despite that, the film does manage to effectively build a sense of dread. It might rely too much on cheap jumpscares, to the point that even one character says at one point "can everyone stop doing that?". But beyond that, there is enough here to make it feel unsettling and creepy, in terms of atmosphere, setting, and visuals. The last act in particular has a couple of really intense sequences, particularly one with a character crawling through an underground tunnel that had me squirming and fidgeting all the way through.
Certainly Blair Witch doesn't compare to the original, and maybe it wasn't necessary in the end. Maybe it tries to explain too much, maybe it answers too much or it shows too much, but in a world where pointless sequels and endless franchises abound, I'm surprised that this one managed to be as effective and scary as it was, and you know that is what I came here for.
Grade:
BLAIR WITCH
(2016, Wingard)
(2016, Wingard)
"You know this is what I came here for."
Several years after the events of The Blair Witch Project, James stumbles upon an online video that he believes shows his sister, Heather, alive. Determined to find her, he recruits a group of friends, including documentarian Lisa (Callie Hernandez). What they find, though, might be more than what they came for.
I've been a huge fan of The Blair Witch Project ever since I saw it in theaters (see my previous review), and let's say I was "a bit" disappointed with Blair Witch 2: Book of Shadows. So I wasn't really clamoring for another sequel; I don't think it's necessary. But fate had it for me to eventually check it out.
Even though it follows the "found footage" format, Blair Witch doesn't really feel like that. It feels like a film shot with handheld cameras, which is my way of saying that the "found footage" element doesn't feel as organic or as realized as the original. In addition, the performances from most of the actors, although not bad, feel like performances. So, overall, that sense of naturality that was present all through the original is missing here.
Despite that, the film does manage to effectively build a sense of dread. It might rely too much on cheap jumpscares, to the point that even one character says at one point "can everyone stop doing that?". But beyond that, there is enough here to make it feel unsettling and creepy, in terms of atmosphere, setting, and visuals. The last act in particular has a couple of really intense sequences, particularly one with a character crawling through an underground tunnel that had me squirming and fidgeting all the way through.
Certainly Blair Witch doesn't compare to the original, and maybe it wasn't necessary in the end. Maybe it tries to explain too much, maybe it answers too much or it shows too much, but in a world where pointless sequels and endless franchises abound, I'm surprised that this one managed to be as effective and scary as it was, and you know that is what I came here for.
Grade: