User reviews

Possibly a bit slow-burning for many horror fans, but I enjoyed this one. The horror elements of the story are passable, but what really elevated it in my mind was the rapport and dialogue between father and son, which was quirky and believable. The ghost was fine, not super memorable, but with a couple effective scenes. The drama aspects of the film, however, made it enjoyable. For such a short film, it dragged on a bit at the end, which is why I docked points, but still definitely worth a look.

What a wonderful surprise this was. Went in expecting very little but got a really well shot, well acted classic ghost story. Not breaking too many boundaries in terms of originality but solid and genuinely chilling and scary in places. Definitely a hidden gem and worthy of a higher score on here.

This is more of what I would call a Chiller - a drama with some scares thrown in so do not go into this thinking its full of gore and nasty scares type horror - Its not!

Having said that i like its lugubrious pacing as this adds to the movies sense of gloom and foreboding and I do like that type of film!

Quite a sad little film, made me feel quite chilled and that is a good thing as most movies these days just leave me laughing or wishing it was all over.

Acting was not bad contrary to the other reviews and the boy reminds me a lot of Haley Joel Osmont and does plays his part well!

Not a bad little chiller at all!

Written and filmed as a "Hallmark Moment" film with supernatural overtones The Witch In The Window was actually quite well done, but failed to avoid the expected foreshadowing which turned the ending twist into an expected moment.

The member of the production team who deserves the most credit for this picture is the camera operator as his ability to properly line up angles and shots allowed for the subtle and passive introduction of spectral portion of this story. A combination of a made for TV Version of The Shining with a dash of Being John Malcovich and The Others thrown in for good measure.

Please do not get me nor the other reviews wrong; this is a well-made entry-level ghost story that was both well written and acted, a slow-burn that was beautifully enduring in its exposure, however, I just failed to feel rewarded for my patience. A ghost story I would happily suggest for my 12-year old who may be overwhelmed with a more In-Your-Face type film.

I wanted so much to enjoy this movie; after reading countless reviews about how this was an amazing film I am sorry, but I just couldn't get on-board with that mentality. With a relatively short run time of 75+ minutes I recommend you give it a shot yourself as it is basically like watching two television episodes back-to-back in regards to time invested.

First of all i do really enjoy the cinematography from this movie, it's good.

even the story not too perfectly strong and good, i still amaze from how they can make a horror movie so warm. the family sense that they want to show really serve very good.

and it has a really good ending too.

The low-budget "The Witch in the Window" is a movie that startles in some moments, but in general is a weak horror film. The beginning is dramatic and it takes too much time to have the first horror scene, which is worthwhile watching. There is not much development of the witch and the viewer never learns why she is trapped to the house. The protagonist Finn is ridiculous going to bed with a Ted bear. The poor conclusion is rushed, confused and predictable. My vote is five.

Title (Brazil): Not Available

Decided to watch this alone in bed. It was a mistake haha Genuinely creepy slow burning horror. Doesn't go for easy jump scares, slowly builds the dread. Great performances by all the cast, really great cinematography. If you like your horror to have a bit more depth then give this a go

The most memorable ghost stories deal with loss and loneliness. In recent years, we have seen A Ghost Story and The Others as outstanding examples. The Witch in the Window isn't quite in that league, but given its modest budget, it still manages to be a superior addition to the genre.

Great ghost stories very often also include houses. So it is that a middle aged father and his teenage son begin renovating a country house in Vermont, only to start to sense that something isn't quite right - from strange smells to eerie bumps in the walls and fleeting glimpses of someone else - a woman - who seems to have come with the purchase. Then there is the neighbour who imparts the house's uneasy local reputation and the rumours about its previous owner, Lydia...

This is an economical (78 minutes) film from writer-director, Andy Mitton, that is assured enough to let its tale unfold through character and mood, without relying on jump scares and J-horror-style imagery and conventions. In lesser hands, it would fall flat. The camera lingers on naturally-lit aspects of the house and the landscape, tinkling and pensive piano underscores the isolation and quietude of the mist and the raindrops and, most importantly, the nuances of the relationship between father and son provide its backbone.

When we first meen teenage Finn, his mother is handing him over to his estranged father, Simon, listing the aspects in the modern world that make it difficult to parent well and maintain a good relationship with your child. Simon, who has his own battles with isolation, is also doubtful about his relationship with Finn ("I've managed to get you on the wrong side of 12!"), but as conversations and events unfold at the house, his love and commitment to bridging the emotional gulf become clear. This relationship is beautifully drawn in the script, with the very natural performances from both actors providing the emotional investment necessary for us to care about what happens to them. In particular, as a teenage character, Finn is well and unusually honestly written, with a thoroughly believable and moving performance by Charlie Tacker to flesh him out.

This film works so well because the loneliness of the broken son-father-mother relationship is revealed gently in the story, set against our increasing hope that it may heal, while an equally lonely force in the house seems to be setting out to threaten it. The end result is surprising, slightly unusual and often unexpected. Its conclusion is perhaps a bit less well executed than the lead up would have you expect, but it leaves you with a sad, haunting feeling, which is surely what an effective ghost story should do!

Ok then the film was a real surprise , it was very good it kept me watching, the way the film had been made was very clever,i wont go into detail but it was quite creepy and interesting , watch it its worth it "thumbs up" .

I think the most impressive piece of this film is the acting. Both the father and son feel real and have quite a lot of depth. Far beyond whats expected of an indie horror film. Very three dimensional characters. The concept I think was very well with ironically the minor flaw being the horror aspect. I see this happen sometimes with horror movies where they build up the emotional suspense and drama then ruin with a lame boogie man. Thankfully with this one immediately does a 180 and turn the monster into something far more complex and interesting. Although it does a thing at the end thats similarly groan worthy as the ending of Sinister. I think they should have just throw out the jump scares in this one and let it be a supernatural drama. When it's doing that it's great.

In summary I would just say if you've looking a bunch of jump scares you may want to skip this one. It's more the vein of a drama with horror aspects.

Was pretty intrigued by the concept, which may not have been a new one but there was potential for it to be a creepy film if done right. The title is simple but certainly grabs the attention and is to the point. Some of my horror reviews recently sound indicates someone who dislikes the horror genre, quite the contrary, it's not my favourite genre but there are many watchable and more (even classic) films in it and there is appreciation for it (as with all genres old and new).

'The Witch in the Window' is certainly nowhere near close to being one of my worst recent film viewings and have definitely seen far worse throughout my life. However, a classic 'The Witch in the Window' is not and have also seen much better films recently. It is another one of those watchable films that doesn't quite do enough with its potential but doesn't squander it, which was a relief for me having seen a lot of potential wastes and was growing tired of them.

Starting with the good things, 'The Witch in the Window' does provide unsettlement visually, with ominous photography that has slickness if not always refinement. The setting and lighting similarly are spooky. It is hauntingly scored and there is evidence of focus and momentum in the directing.

Once it gets going, 'The Witch in the Window' does boast a good amount of skin-crawling suspense and unsettling scares. As well as a surprising emotional impact in a quietly sorrowful sort of way, there is evidence of character development here and while not rich it was hardly surface level. Actually found myself caring for the lead characters and their story, which did give the film its heart. The acting is pretty decent too.

However, 'The Witch in the Window' does take too long to get going and set up with a pretty dull first 20-25 minutes that could easily have been tightened. Worse was the ending, which on top of being too easily telegraphed too early was very rushed and muddled, as well as going overboard on the bitter-sweetness.

Much more could have been done with the titular character, who should have been the star of the show but the way she is utilised and written is one of the biggest drawbacks. She is scary but has a back-story that is badly under-developed with too many things on an explanation level left unclear and then confused when explanation is attempted. Throughout the dialogue is very stilted.

Altogether, watchable but lacking in too many areas. 5/10 Bethany Cox

A father, who lacked presence during the crucial years of development of his son, tries to bond with him while renovating an old mansion. Over time, it turns out that there is some presence in the house - the more father and son work on the house the more remarkable the presence becomes.

The movie is not what you expect from a horror movie with that promising title. In fact, it starts off as family movie, develops into a relationship movie and ends up as suspense movie without gore, blood or violence. Yet, there is a mind-gripping sub story that easily could be misinterpret as a metaphor for the father's live (guilt - refrain - agitation). It is way more. It's certainly not the type of movie you would watch for light entertainment, it is the sheer existentialism of horror movies, almost comparable in its density and structure to It Follows or The Pact.

The actors in the film were very good, but they spend a lot of time building characters to have them fizzle out. I very much liked the story line, although its left with many plot holes. No explanations other than "shes a witch." They give you a vague background of her, they add flies to the set, but dont really complete her story. Is she dead inside? Is it the house istelf? Is she a witch or just a bitter old lady? I also very much enjoyed the creepy atmosphere in the beginning, as well as the way the wrapped up the ending. Just wanted more explanation.

Good ghost story with a couple of terrifying moments. I don't see how I'd get anymore out of it watching it a second time though.

Normally, I just ignore the politics in movies/tv, otherwise there wouldn't be anything to watch but this movie had to open with global warming & a slam at the President. At least, get me interested before throwing your politics in my face.

I love a good ghost story / haunted house movie. Good ones are so hard to find. I thought I'd found my next new favorite until about an hour in when it went off the rails a little. Then it got back on track. The end is a little wobbly and a little too cute, maybe, but overall, I really liked this movie.

For the most part, the story follows a man, estranged from his wife, as he bonds with his son, who is staying with him while he fixes up an old house that turns out to be haunted by the woman who used to live there.

I thought it was a wonderful way to tell a ghost story, and I was completely invested up until about an hour in, when they overplayed their hand. I felt like it got back on track, but the ending felt a little clumsy and a little too cute. Overall, I still liked it though.

I really liked the characters and the story felt well paced. It never felt boring or slow to me, but I can see why it might feel that way for some.

Definitely recommended.

This movie is an embarrassment. Two minutes into the movie they have made a political reference. Not the time or place to be making comment about the president or anything political in a horror movie... Do not recommend at all.

A divorced man takes his son, whom he doesn't see nearly enough, to his recently purchased house to flip. While working on the house together they hear stories from the locals about the previous father and son that occupied the house years prior. And their violent and mysterious death. They also hear of the woman (Witch??) that may be responsible. Scariness ensues. This doesn't have an Avatar budget nor the actors from The Deer Hunter. There are loose ends and cliches aplenty. That being said the acting is fine and the effects don't detract. There were a Couple scenes that gave me actual chills and I appreciate that. Worth my seventy-something minutes. Worth yours too.

This movie is actually quite interesting and I never found myself bored through it like some people I've read on here. There's some spooky moments throughout, however, sometimes when the scares happen it comes across cheap. As in cheaply made, it should have just stuck with the creepy imagery in the first half. However this movie isn't bad, but isn't a masterpiece either.