Blair Witch was an odd experience for me. It’s the first time heading into a movie that I expected to be bad that I didn’t dread watching. Maybe it’s because I knew that we were getting a “sequel” that’s really more of a remake. But maybe it’s because I had already settled on it being a failure. Regardless of why I felt the way that I did, I watched it, didn’t regret it and was unfortunately proven right.
The plot in Blair Witch is a predictable and stupid one. It follows a group of friends, who after fifteen years, head into to the woods that claimed the lives of three aspiring filmmakers looking to make a documentary about a witch back in the late 1990’s. For some reason, they believe there’s a chance that they still may be alive and in that same area. I understand that one of the characters in this one is the brother of the young woman in the first one, but it’s hard to see how anyone could allow that to cloud their way of thinking.
Anyway, what we get here is literally the same movie in just about every way one could imagine. What’s different here is that there’s modern technology, more characters, and an extended ending. There’s also one more thing that may or may not interest you, but I won’t say what that is due to not wanting to spoil the movie. Other than that, everything else remains the same. If you’re wanting to get more than that, you need to look elsewhere.
I can’t say this for certain, but I have a strong feeling that Blair Witch represents the absolute end of the found footage era of horror films. The concept has been used up and worn down completely over the past several years now. There’s nowhere else to go with it, and it simply feels like this is the end. I say that because it is kind of a “full circle” kind of thing here. Why not just end it with a failure in the final movie of something that should have never had a sequel?
Although there isn’t much to like, simply seeing Blair Witch as a huge disappointment would be a bit disingenuous from my viewpoint. I knew what I was getting before I walked in. I guess it’s just unfortunate that it’s exactly what I was anticipating. Maybe trying something a little different would have helped, but we all know that’s it’s rarely ever done that way with Hollywood sequels. It’s been clear for a while that the vast majority of follow-ups are simply cash grabs that will continue to be made until audiences decide not to see them anymore.
Rating: R
Director: Adam Wingard
Cast:
James Allen McCune
Callie Hernandez
Brandon Scott
Valorie Curry
Corbin Reid
Wes Robinson
Film length: 93 minutes
Release Date: September 16, 2016
Distributor: Lionsgate
