Since its debut on Sept. 16, “Blair Witch” has received more hype than it deserves. This edition of the “Blair Witch” franchise, which began in 1999 with the original “Blair Witch Project,” is simply a compilation of horror movie stereotypes. The cast includes no well-known actors and the acting is mediocre at best.
The original “Blair Witch Project” is based off of the fictitious legend of the Blair Witch which was created by filmmakers Eduardo Sánchez and Daniel Myrick, who fabricated the legend for the original film. The legend stated that a woman named Elly Kedwood was executed in 1786 by exposure after being accused and convicted of witchcraft in the town of Blair, Maryland, fictitious name for Burkittsville, Maryland. Soon after her execution, residents of Blair began disappearing and some were even murdered. The tale claimed this was due to Kedwood, who had placed a curse on the woods and those who had wronged her while she was living.
Whether looking for a family outing, date night or a friend hangout, “Blair Witch” is not the movie to see. With a slow beginning that seemed to drag on and on, the movie built up to nothing and was a disappointing view.
The trailer for the movie fills viewers with anticipation. The trailer is frightful, exciting and intriguing. Unfortunately, the trailer is full of empty promises and the movie itself falls flat.
The entire movie is shot in a documentary style, with purposefully bad camera work. Is this in hopes of scaring the viewers with “the unseen?” The scariest part of the movie was how frightfully short it was. Ending after only 89 minutes, viewers left the theatre with steady heart beats and lighter pockets, grumbling for more.
The story begins with four friends, James (James Allen McCune, “Shameless”), Lisa (Callie Hernandez, “La La Land”), Peter (Brandon Scott, “Wreck-It Ralph”) and Ashley (Corbin Reid, “How to Get Away with Murder”) setting out to the Black Hills Forest to film a documentary and look for clues that may lead to the whereabouts of James’ lost sister, Heather, who disappeared years before while filming her own documentary.
Stereotypes such as the scary woods setting, abandoned houses, mysterious noises and witch craft symbols are strewn throughout the movie. There are even the rather eccentric acquaintances that show up again and again throughout the film, in what seems to be an attempt at a shock factor.
Overall, “Blair Witch” plays out like a bad campfire story. While the legend itself has potential to raise some goosebumps, the movie just does not do it justice.
