Yikes. This movie terrified me...in a really well done way. The approach to this movie was genius, when the hand-held aesthetic was at its infancy. Because of how it was shot, this film puts you deep into the forest with the characters, with no hope, only fear. Starting it slow, building up the mythology of the witch was a good move and added to the uneasiness that builds for literally the entire movie. The relationship between the three students gets strained the longer they are out lost in the woods. First it was Heather's over confidence that got the boys mad at her, then Mike's stupid, stupid, stupid move to kick the map in the river really corroded the character's morale as their behavior gets more and more unnerving. Showing a slow tense build during the day times made it almost unbearable to watch when the night vision came on. The intensity was built incredibly well with the shots of the character's reactions to what was happening to them and made me cringe every other step they took towards nothingness. The infamous closeup shot of Heather's face as she breaks down and hyperventilates was bone-chilling. Her face covers half of the frame while pure blackness fills out the rest, and you just feel something lurking there the entire time. This shot goes on for so long and its almost unbearable to watch. If you are in for an adrenaline trip, watch this movie, it's horrible...in the best way possible.
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