Ambar’s review published on Letterboxd:
This review may contain spoilers.
Has been a while since I've watched a horror movie. Now after that break and since I've got quite much free time anyway, I thought: why not start with one of the biggest that came out the last years?
I knew this one was different. And my expectations were high since I've heard from many reviewers it was very good (very high Letterboxd ratings, too). After watching it I have to say I can't give it the 5 stars score like many others did.
I absolutely loved the atmosphere, the music, the pictures. I also liked the concept of the story very much. The plot itself was really good for most parts. But at some point (which is really just the end, to be honest) I wished for some answers. I know it is supposed to be mysterious but mystery easily takes this small step to random vagueness.
And in my opinion the ending did exactly that. At the end we have a lot of clichés: a witch gathering around a fire place, evil nudity (I'll just call it that) and the actual devil in persona speaking with a human voice.
It didn't quite fit the tone of the rest and made me question the plot instead of solving it in some way. Mystery's ok if it never answers anything and makes you like it. In this case I just thought: now you gave me too much... too much that doesn't match.
Where are the siblings? Was Black Philipp always the devil or just controlled by him at some point? Is that a common witch cult in the woods? Are there more? If Satan exists... is God a 'real' thing in that universe? What did the father do wrong to be banned from that village and did he really "sin" and therefore bring the curse to his family or did they just build their home near the wrong place to get terrorized by witches and animals from hell?
Maybe I missed some deep message and all this was just a metaphor. Anyway: still a great horror movie, wonderful acting, soundtrack, visuals. I loved the goats and the woods. I love to fear the woods, somehow... so I would have liked to see even more of them. Also Christian mythology is always fascinating and scary. At least if transferred so authentically. So that was cool.
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