Blair Witch (2016)

'Blair Witch' is directed by Adam Wingard, who has become one of my favorite modern horror directors of this generation. With this long-awaited sequel, he clearly shows love for the source material and expands upon the mythology, however its not without its missteps. The film follows the brother of Heather, the original film's protagonist who went missing along with her friends while filming a documentary in the Black Woods and after seeing a recent Internet video from said woods, her brother is convinced that Heather may still be alive and sets out into the woods with his own friends with similar horrible results.

The film doesn't add much in terms of its opening scenes, we meet the kids, we know they're screwed and its all a matter of waiting for the filler and exposition before we get to the creepy part and this is 'Blair Witch's' worst flaw. The film feels slower than the original at the beginning because I didn't like these characters anywhere near as much as the original kids. They were all developed well enough that you could feel something for them throughout the film. With this sequel, these guys are pretty unlikable except for Heather's brother and they act like jackasses or they just complain the whole time. The film's other major problem is the overuse of audio jump scares, which are not scary, not clever, and unbearably annoying. Adam Wingard is a better director than that.

Where the film shines is in its building upon the myth of the Witch herself, and man did they make her much more terrifying in this one. To be fair, the original film did what it could with a small budget and in its own ways is a very creepy and unsettling film. I even keep an old VHS copy for proper mood but the higher budget works wonders with 'Blair Witch'. The sound design is freaky and grotesque, with squishy and creaky noises that leave a chill up your spine. I will not spoil the ending to the film, however I must say It is insane. I have a better appreciation with the film as a whole after this ending and it made the film worthwhile for me. I also enjoyed that they give some answers but keeping the wizard behind the curtain. The stick figure that has become so iconic has its powers revealed in a violent and shocking matter that you don't want to miss.

'Blair Witch' I put on par with the original, and by that I mean if you absolutely hated the original film, don't bother here you're going to hate it. For anyone else who needed something that expands upon the original and wanted a proper sequel, this is the best you can get for now. Man, this one was a hell of a ride.