2018 was a successful year for horror, especially those that delved into themes and allegories for family. Hereditary gave us a haunting insight into how collective trauma and grief can corrode a family unit; A Quiet Place dramatized the silent anxieties and sacrifices that come with parenthood; and The Haunting of Hill House portrayed a morbid outlook on how childhood trauma and family dysfunction can interact. While these beloved horrors got the limelight they deserve, another equally provocative film that centered on family themes went criminally under the radar that year. Andy Mitton‘s The Witch in the Window conveyed an eerie insight into the impact of the dissolution of the family unit by rooting its horror in one of the most compelling father-son relationships that has graced the screen.
A Father-Son Dynamic Is at the Heart of ‘The Witch in the Window’
The Witch in the Window is centered around an estranged father-son relationship, as Simon (Alex Draper) takes his son Finn (Charlie Tacker) on a trip with him to renovate a farmhouse. As the two navigate the distance in their relationship, they gradually realize the house may be haunted by the ghost of the town’s rumored witch. While sawing planks, hammering at nails and calling up electricians that turn off the power without warning, Simon and Fin learn to communicate better with each other, which becomes instrumental in figuring out how to renovate a house with an unwanted resident.
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It is their relationship that is at the heart of the film, quickly making us invested in their budding bond. Draper and Tacker ensure that the affection and trust between the initially distant pair grows organically, littered with moments of awkward tension but affixed with humor and gentle chides. Tacker embodies the stubborn yet incessantly curious nature of a young adolescent boy, as Finn cheekily tests his father’s boundaries but is also stricken by vulnerable moments of not understanding why his father left.
On the other hand, Draper has a refreshing approach to being a father wanting to cultivate a relationship with his child. He slips into the parent role but hesitates about asking certain questions, fearful he hasn’t gotten the right to. Most significantly, he treats Finn almost as an adult, taking his words with a certain weight and even believing him when he talks about the strange events in the house. Their mature, respectful yet still contentious dynamics easily tug at our heart strings, especially since it is crystal clear that undercurrents of love and genuine care lurk underneath the overly casual behavior.
‘The Witch in the Window’ Builds Its Horror on Family
Their endearing dynamics lay the groundwork for the rest of the horror in The Witch in the Window: understated, organic and atmospheric. This leads us into the film’s most effective scare, containing all these elements so that when the actual moment of horror appears, it has crept up on us unawares. On one of the mornings, Finn drowsily wakes up and converses with his father in a perfectly innocuous scene, brushed with daylight and warmth. When terror seeps into the scene, it is less of a jump scare and more of a horrifying revelation, where we can feel the goosebumps form across our skin. It also happens to foreshadow another disconcerting twist later in the film, and the only reason these subtle horror elements work is because of how believable and comforting Simon and Finn’s relationship is.
Their strong bond not only makes us root for both of them to survive, but also makes Simon’s demons even more provocative in the third act. We have been exposed to his fears and anxieties throughout the film while finding coziness in his love for his child, but these are twisted into a distorted reality and nightmarish sequences in the end. The film never opts for blazing, outright fright, but instead lingers on every unsettling scene, allowing the tension, needling frustration and unbearable eeriness to build momentum before returning to its quietness. It reflects the silent anxieties of the separated family unit, where Simon’s guilt and feelings of loss convey that of a father trying to re-connect with his family but is too tied down by his internal conflict. While some families can be explosive and jumpy, the one in The Witch in the Window is defined by tentative hope and bittersweet silence.
The Witch in the Window
- Release Date
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July 23, 2018
- Runtime
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76 minutes
- Director
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Andy Mitton
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