During the late 1700s, stories began to arise about the evil Blair Witch in the Black Hills of Maryland. Eduardo Sanchez and Daniel Myrick came across these legends and decided to direct a film called “The Blair Witch Project” in 1999. 

The movie was a huge success and sparked the idea for the recent release of the sequel, “Blair Witch.” According to IMDB, the reason the original was such a success was because the directors told the cast the stories were true, so all of their reactions were real. 

After the film was released in 1999, the cast “went missing” and the actors went into hiding for a couple months. Sanchez and Myrick made the fictional story come to life in the most convincing and scary way possible. 

If you have not seen “The Blair Witch Project,” no big deal, the sequel is easy to catch on to. The director, Adam Wingard, did a great job of incorporating the original story into it, since most people might not have seen the 1999 prequel. 

The movie begins with a bit of backstory and moves slowly into the scary scenes. 

Heather, the ringleader of the original “Blair Witch Project” crew, had a younger brother named James who always wondered what happened to her after her disappearance. 

James, played by James Allen McCune, spent most of his life researching the legend of the Blair Witch. After finding a video on Youtube of what appears to be Heather in the same house she disappeared in, James and friends Lisa (Callie Hernandez), Ashley (Corbin Reid) and Peter (Brandon Scott) embark on a mission to find her, entering the Black Hills for an overnight camping trip.  

Immediately upon their entrance, Ashley cuts her foot relatively deep which later sparks a serious infection. As the film goes on, more eerie events begin happening. 

From loud crashing noises in the forest, to stick figures popping up around their campsite, the jump scares don’t stop in this adrenaline fueled film.

Once they enter the forest, you are on the edge of your seat for the rest of the movie, jumping and screaming-every second. 

Wingard made the film from Lisa’s point of view as she’s making a documentary about James and his story. The camera work was shaky, but intended to be that way. Wingard is also known for his other horror films such as “V/H/S,” “You’re Next” and “The Guest.” 

The actors were definitely cast well. These up-and-coming stars did a great job portraying terror. 

McCune did a fantastic job in his performance and was very convincing. This movie is interesting because most horror films take place in a house, not in the woods. 

In an interview with Digital Trends, McCune said,” We were able to shoot longer in Vancouver (BC). We were in the southern tip of it [original shooting location in Maryland]. We had to find the most paring part and shoot in those woods to match the original.” 

One can appreciate the director’s dedication in finding woods to match the same movie made in 1999. 

Horror films are not everyone’s cup of tea. But if you are a fan of the original film, then this is a must see. No matter what was happening, one cannot sit still and leave their eyes open for too long without being scared. Besides the slow pickup of the film, it was definitely enjoyable.