Overview: A family in 1630s New England is torn apart by the forces of witchcraft, black magic, and possession.

4K Ultra HD Verdict: Lionsgate continues to expand their 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray catalog offerings this April with the release of this quite stunning, and highly underrated 'The Witch' in the new 4K home video format on April 23rd, 2019.

For my money, this 'The Witch: 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray + Digital' combo pack's sharpness takes a fairly large step forward from others in their 4K Ultra HD catalog and even comes with HDR (High Dynamic Range) for the complete 4K Ultra HD experience, of course.

So, what we have is 'The Witch' presented to us as a two-disc combo pack with a sheet for a Digital HD Copy. Other stand out points you should know are: Codec: HEVC / H.265, Resolution: Upscaled 4K (2160p), HDR: Dolby Vision + HDR10, Aspect ratio: 1.66:1, and Original aspect ratio: 1.66:1.

Featuring Dolby Vision and HDR10 for brighter, deeper, and way more lifelike colors, as with most all 4K UHD's, everything that we watch features these qualities - but somehow, this film gloriously shines within them all.

Noticeably crisper with the overall clarity receiving an obvious boost here on this release, what's more is that it's enjoyably noticeable. For as well as some new nuances to the somewhat drab palette courtesy of Dolby Vision we also get to witness sudden bright pops of color; like the terrifying outdoor night time scenes where only a flickering candle flame can reveal as much as it does ... until it doesn't!

Indeed, the picture enjoys the fruits of the added resolution in terms of bringing out the aforementioned extremely fine facial and some of the yellow graded material (notably some scenes where the family starts to get torn apart, and Witchcraft and curses are bandied about between one another; the tension of the moments - especially those involving the Goat - are clearly evident on all faces) now have a kind of honeyed amber appearance. Which is interesting, and at least a little different from the 1080p Blu-ray accounting.

As for the audio, well we have: English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and Subtitles in both English SDH and Spanish.

Overall, this is a very strong 4K HDR Blu-ray presentation, and, for the most part, the audio track remains fairly similar to its DTS-HD counterpart; with much of the action occupying the surrounds with outstanding directionality and placement where effects flawlessly pan between the sides and rears.

Phew! OK, so, as for the movie itself. Well, for my money, 'The Witch' is a loving and accurate recreation of Puritan New England in the 1600's with everything from the language to the sets being authentic to the period.

That in and of itself makes it fascinating to watch. Having lived in Virginia, where the Jamestown Settlement and the 1600's sometimes can seem like they happened the day before yesterday, I especially enjoyed the film.

The location, in Ontario, reminded me of rural Virginia in winter, which made me quite homesick. So the film might have affected me more than some others that have since viewed this movie, of course.

'The Witch' is a fascinating glimpse into Christianity as practiced by 17th century Puritans. Satan and Evil are almost tangible presences in the woods and wilderness of the New World, while God is a distant, cold, and demanding being who must be constantly begged for forgiveness and mercy; since all human thoughts, words, and deeds seem to be gravely sinful and offensive to his eyes.

A family of seven (parents, four children, and an infant) are exiled from their plantation community for not adhering to the accepted interpretation of scripture. They build a farm at a distance from the plantation near a frightening wood.

The farm is failing (the family won't have food to last the winter). Meanwhile, the infant has been snatched from the oldest daughter while in her care at the edge of the wood.

From this point on the family either descends into madness or is destroyed by Satan in the form of a witch who lives nearby in the woods.

How the family's disintegration is interpreted will depend on which century's point of view you choose to use.

In closing, 'The Witch' is a brilliantly shot (natural lighting and using a different aspect ratio to get the sense of isolation), well acted and fascinatingly told tale. It is a simple story that leaves a big impact, of that have no fear.

Anyway, that's that, for the most part, so now let's concentrate on the Special Features and for me the stand out is 'Salem Panel Q&A with Cast and Crew.' Running at a delightful near half hour, it features Robert Eggers, Anya Taylor-Joy, Brunonia Barry and Richard Trask.

The 'Audio Commentary with Director Robert Eggers' is ok, but with a movie that plays out as slow, as darkly, as quietly as 'The Witch' does, Eggers' commentary does much the same.

It's actually like he's trying so very hard not to raise his own voice so as to distract you from the force of what's on screen, that he forgets to even speak some times!

This is a Widescreen Presentation (1.66:1) enhanced for 16x9 TVs via 1080p and comes with the Special Features of:

Audio Commentary with Director Robert Eggers
The Witch: A Primal Folktale (1080p; 8:28)
Salem Panel Q&A with Cast and Crew (1080p; 27:59)
Design Gallery (1080p)

Official Trailer