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The Witch poster

Is The Witch OK for Kids?

Horror
17+
R⭐ IMDb 7.0 / 102015 · 1h 32m
Robert Eggers● Script verified

Where to Watch

United States

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What's In It

Based on the actual screenplay
🗡️Violence
Extreme▼
Moments in the script, mildest → most intense
0
Cartoon / Comedic
1
Action & Peril
3
Injuries & Death Shown
6
Graphic & Disturbing
  • Infant Samuel is taken by a witch in the opening and later revealed to have been killed and consumed
  • Caleb convulses and cries out in agony during an extended prayer/possession sequence before dying on screen
  • Flora is found dead and physically corrupted after being killed by the witch
  • William is killed by Black Phillip the goat, and Katherine is later killed by the witch/Black Phillip as well
  • Thomasin is physically beaten by her mother Katherine, and the father threatens to use a billhook to 'dash Jonas's skull'
  • Overall tone is bleak and dread-filled rather than action-oriented, with violence used to escalate psychological horror and family destruction
💬Language
Moderate▼
Moments in the script, mildest → most intense
0
Mild Words
(damn, hell)
55
Moderate
(ass, b**ch)
52
Strong
(sh*t)
0
Extreme
(f**k)
  • The word 'Devil' is used extremely frequently (47 times), reflecting the religious/occult subject matter
  • 'Witch' (35), 'Evil' (12), and 'Hell' (8) are used repeatedly throughout dialogue
  • 'Da**/Damnation' appears 4 times and 'B**ch' appears once
  • No f-words or c-words detected; language is period-appropriate and religiously charged rather than modern profanity
👻Scary Scenes
Extreme▼
Moments in the script, mildest → most intense
0
Mildly Tense
0
Startling Moments
4
Genuinely Scary
4
Deeply Disturbing
  • Samuel's disappearance in the opening, later revealed as a killing by the witch, sets a disturbing tone early
  • Black Phillip the goat behaves unnaturally and the children claim he speaks to them, building creeping dread
  • Caleb's possession/convulsion scene mixes religious prayer with demonic references in a deeply intense sequence
  • Thomasin admits to being a witch, describing signing the Devil's book and stealing Samuel, in a scene meant to terrorize Mercy
  • The twins receive a visit from apparitions implied to be 'Samuel' and 'Flora,' suggesting witch illusions of the dead children
  • The final scene, where Black Phillip transforms and Thomasin makes a covenant with the Devil, is deeply disturbing and unresolved in a comforting way
💕Romance
Moderate▼
Moments in the script, mildest → most intense
0
Crushes & Holding Hands
0
Kissing & Dating
3
Suggestive
0
Sexual Content
  • Katherine recalls a girlhood vision of being 'ravished' by Christ's love, phrased in intimate/suggestive religious language
  • Katherine accuses Thomasin of bewitching Caleb with 'sluttish looks' and calls her a wh**e, a harsh sexualized accusation
  • In the final scene, Thomasin removes her shift in front of Black Phillip before signing the Devil's book, implying partial nudity in a ritualistic context
🍺Substances
Very Mild▼
Moments in the script, mildest → most intense
1
Mentioned in Passing
0
Shown Casually
0
Featured Prominently
0
Glorified or Abused
  • The father trades a silver cup for 'good money,' implying alcohol or goods, but this is only mentioned in passing
  • No substance use is shown on screen or glorified
⚡Stimulation
Extreme▼
Moments in the script, mildest → most intense
0
Gently Engaging
0
Exciting
2
Intense
2
Overwhelming
  • An extended prayer/exorcism sequence shows the family convulsing and screaming, unable to remember their prayers, building to an overwhelming climax
  • Caleb's death during this prayer scene is described as overwhelming in intensity
  • The discovery of Flora corrupted and dead is an intense sensory and emotional moment
  • The final revelation scene with Black Phillip and Thomasin's covenant is overwhelming in tone and pacing
  • Not suitable for sensory-sensitive children or those who struggle with sustained dread and slow-building horror

Parents also checked

The Witch — Heads Up for Parents

Despite its arthouse, period-drama presentation, the film's final scene includes Thomasin removing her shift before the transformed Black Phillip as part of a ritualistic covenant with the Devil, which may catch parents off guard given the otherwise slow, dialogue-driven pacing of the film.

About The Witch

Set in 1630s New England, this slow-burn horror film follows a Puritan family banished from their plantation who settle on an isolated farm at the edge of a forest, where a series of horrifying events—including the disappearance of their infant and the death of their eldest son—lead them to suspect their teenage daughter Thomasin is a witch. The tone is bleak, slow, and deeply unsettling, building dread through religious paranoia rather than jump scares, culminating in a disturbing final act involving demonic transformation and a pact with the Devil.

⚠️
Watch with your child
The sustained psychological horror—including Caleb's on-screen death during a possession/prayer sequence, Flora's corrupted body, and the family's mutual destruction through paranoia—along with the disturbing final covenant scene, makes this appropriate only for older teens (17+) with a parent present to unpack the heavy religious and occult themes.

Family Takeaways from The Witch

What it gets right

  • ✓The film shows genuine attempts at family support, such as the father comforting Caleb about Samuel's fate and God's grace
  • ✓Katherine's confession scene with William models vulnerability and honest communication between spouses even during crisis

The Witch Cultural & Values Guide

Cultural & Values Guide

Faith & Religion
●Christian themes

The Puritan family's strict Christian faith drives the entire narrative, with constant prayer, biblical references, and their belief that witchcraft represents the ultimate spiritual corruption opposing their devotion to God.

Community Notes

  • Some religious viewers may find the depiction of demonic possession, witchcraft, and a family's descent into damnation unsettling or theologically provocative given its serious treatment of Puritan Christian belief systems.
Cast:Anya Taylor-JoyRalph InesonKate DickieHarvey ScrimshawEllie Grainger

Is The Witch Appropriate for Your Child's Age?

✗Age 5: Not recommended for 5-year-olds
✗Age 8: Not recommended for 8-year-olds
✗Age 10: Not recommended for 10-year-olds
✗Age 12: Not recommended for 12-year-olds
✗Age 13: Not recommended for 13-year-olds
✗Age 15: Not recommended for 15-year-olds
✓Age 17: Generally appropriate for 17-year-olds

Individual children may vary — use your judgment.

Parents also ask about The Witch

  • Is The Witch appropriate for a 17-year-old?
  • Does The Witch have violence?
  • Is The Witch OK for kids?
  • What is the age rating for The Witch?

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