Monsters, Women, and Magic: Intersecting Hierarchies of Gender and Religion in The Witch (2015)

In the context of the revival of the Folk Horror genre, this chapter explores the film The Witch, directed by Robert Eggers and released in 2015. Set in New England in the 1630s, the film follows the story of a Puritan family who has been banished from a colony over a religious dispute. Once located in their new home on the edge of the woods, the family will soon start being plagued by witchcraft. Subtitled “A New England Folk Tale,” the film draws on both reality and myth to create the story of a Puritan family’s terrifying experiences while presenting a collage of images and stereotypes that conjure feminist revisionist myths about witchcraft. This chapter considers the film’s depiction of witchcraft as a symbol of resistance to gendered violence and oppression and discusses the ways witchcraft grants (or does not grant) agency to women. Finally, the chapter addresses how this dark fairy tale uncovers fears and anxieties regarding intersecting hierarchies of gender and religion and its implications for the current sociocultural landscape in the United States.