The lights came up on the Eccles Theatre, and for a moment there was silence. Then the applause started. Scattered at first, then building into a wave that filled the room.
The premiere of The Witch at Sundance was now complete, and thankfully, a lot of them seemed to like it.
I, along with the cast, was then led onto the stage. Anya, Ralph, Kate. I was still wearing that eye patch, so I almost tripped. Well, depth perception. Thankfully, Ralph had a hand on me.
We laughed about it as we made our way fully onto the stage.
The moderator, a Sundance programmer named Sarah, gestured for us to sit on the panel stage as the applause continued.
I could see faces in the crowd. Some looked shaken, others exhilarated, a few visibly disturbed. That was the reaction I had hoped for.
Sarah took her seat and smiled at the audience, waiting for the noise to die down before she spoke into her microphone.
"Well," she said, grinning, "that was something. First of all, congratulations to Mr. Adler and the entire cast. What an incredible film. Daniel, how does it feel now that it's premiered?"
I leaned into my microphone. "Honestly? I haven't been this nervous since The Blair Witch Project came out all those years ago."
Some laughter rippled through the crowd.
"But seriously," I continued, "this is a story I've wanted to tell for a long time, and seeing it with an audience for the first time is surreal. Thank you all for being here."
The questions followed. Sarah asked how I wrote it and whether I was going to stick to the genre.
I answered, saying, "I was inspired by a documentary I saw about old tales told to scare children from running off into the forests. Those stories were meant to instill fear, to teach lessons through dread. I wanted to capture that feeling."
As for genre, I said, "No, I have other movies in mind. I'm excited to begin those projects. This was a passion project, but I'm not exclusively a horror director."
Anya, Ralph, and Kate were also asked questions. One audience member raised their hand and asked, "The witch is barely in the film, and yet it's so scary. How did you balance that?"
I nodded. "She's actually in it even less originally, but I did some rewrites and added a few more scenes with her. The less you see, the more your imagination fills in the gaps. I wanted the witch to be a presence, not a character. She's not there to monologue or explain herself. She's chaos. She's evil. And she only appears when it's most effective. The rest of the time, the idea of her is enough."
Another question followed. "What were the changes?"
"I made it less of a slow burn," I said. "I reshot some scenes with Anya for Thomasin, and those added scenes gave her more agency. She's not just a victim. She's someone who chooses her fate by the end."
Anya was asked how she prepared.
"A lot of research into Puritan life, the way women were treated, and the religious fanaticism of the time. And a lot of conversations with Daniel about Thomasin's internal struggle. She's trapped in a life she doesn't want, and the witch represents freedom. Dangerous, dark freedom, but freedom nonetheless."
Another question came from a woman in the third row. "Ralph, Kate, what was it like playing the parents in this film? Especially with so much of the horror coming from the family dynamics?"
Ralph leaned forward, his deep voice filling the room. "It was intense, to be honest. William is a man who believes he's doing the right thing, leading his family with faith and conviction, but he's also paranoid, stubborn, and slowly losing control. Playing that descent was challenging. You have to find the humanity in someone who's making terrible decisions."
Kate nodded, adding, "And Katherine is a mother watching her family fall apart. She's grieving, she's terrified, and she's clinging to her faith because it's all she has left. It was emotionally exhausting, but in the best way. You have to go to some dark places."
Sarah asked, "And what was it like working with the children? There are some very intense scenes."
Ralph chuckled. "The kids were incredible. Professionals, really. But yes, some of those scenes were tough. You're acting out these moments of fear and desperation, and you have to make sure the kids are comfortable and safe while still getting the performance you need."
Kate agreed. "Harvey and Ellie, who played Caleb and Mercy, were so young, but they understood the material. We'd rehearse, Daniel would talk them through it, and they'd just deliver. It was remarkable."
I leaned into my mic. "Ralph and Kate were instrumental in making sure the kids felt supported. They were like den parents on set. Ralph especially. He'd joke around between takes to keep things light, and then the second we rolled, he'd flip a switch and become this imposing, terrifying figure."
Some laughter followed.
Ralph smiled. "Well, someone had to keep the mood from getting too grim. We were making a horror film, but we didn't want the set to feel like one."
Kate laughed. "He kept us sane, honestly."
Another question came from a man near the back. "Daniel, you've built this massive career as a writer and producer. Why direct now? Why not just produce and let someone else direct?"
I thought about that for a moment. "Because I wanted to prove to myself that I could. And because there are some stories I want to tell in a very specific way. The Witch is one of them. I don't plan to direct everything I write. I don't have time for that. But when something speaks to me the way this did, I want to be the one behind the camera."
The Q&A continued for another twenty minutes. There were questions about the film's themes, the use of period accurate dialogue, the symbolism of Black Phillip, and the disturbing baby scene. Anya, Kate, and Ralph handled most of the acting questions, while I talked through the technical and thematic choices.
When Sarah finally wrapped it up, the audience applauded again, and we stood, waving as we filed offstage.
Backstage, Raj and Graves informed me of the interviews I had lined up. Variety, Deadline, IndieWire, The Hollywood Reporter.
And then there I went, giving a lot of interviews, even talking to some film YouTubers who were there.
The interviews were similar. Some jokes about the eye patch, but mostly focused on my transition from writer to director, the success of Midas and the DCU, and what The Witch meant for my career. Some asked more about the film's themes, religious oppression, female autonomy, and the demonization of women. I talked about how the film wasn't meant to be a straightforward feminist allegory, but that those elements were baked into the story.
By the time I finished the last interview, it was late afternoon, and I returned to the hotel room to get some rest. My eye was still kind of hurting even after two weeks. I might need to check with a doctor about it.
I lay down on the bed and pulled out my phone, scrolling through social media. The photos of me at Sundance were all over the place.
And they were mostly about the eye patch.
Dammit.
@sundancefest
Daniel Adler and the cast of THE WITCH at tonight's premiere.
[Photo: Daniel in a long coat with an eye patch, standing with Anya Taylor-Joy, Ralph Ineson, Kate Dickie, and the rest of the cast on stage]
Replies & Quotes:
@JamesonFlecher (Quote Tweet with image)
[Image: Side by side comparison]
Left: 11 year old Daniel at first Toy Story book signing, huge smile, innocent eyes
Right: Daniel on stage with THE WITCH cast, eye patch, tired expression
Caption: PUNISHED ADLER era begins
@Eaterofworlds replying:
"Why are we still here? Just to suffer? Every night, I can feel my eye..."
@Lemond45 (2.1k likes)
What a decade in Hollywood does to a man.
@Harrietpotter (1.8k likes)
He lost his innocence AND his depth perception.
@Shivadas replying:
Margot Robbie took both.
@Melony67 (3.4k likes)
From "You've Got a Friend in Me" to "The world is full of suffering and chaos, and we are all destined to perish in darkness."
@cortezpavel (1.5k likes)
Pretty sure this movie is cursed or something. It took the director's eye.
@Tracer97 replying:
The Witch demands a sacrifice.
@AdlerStan8h (1.9k likes)
Is this like his new look now that he is a director omg is the eye patch permanent
@Eragone (1.6k likes)
PUNISHED ADLER is my new aesthetic.
I muttered, "Ok, ok," and put my phone away.
At least when the movie comes out properly later in the year, people will have some interest, I thought.
I was planning on staying a few days to check out the festival. I closed my good eye and tried to get some sleep.
=========
The next couple of days were good. I met some filmmakers and critics and made a few contacts. There were a lot of new filmmakers looking for an opportunity, and I was very impressed by some of them.
Most of them were as young as me or a bit older, but they seemed to regard me as a god or something. I may have underestimated my popularity among up and coming filmmakers.
I needed to talk to Paul after this, maybe fund some of these movies. There was some good talent here.
One of the movies I watched was Your Eyes at Sunset, a tragic love story that moved me a lot.
It was when I met with the cast and crew that I encountered someone unexpected.
The director of the movie, Jake Longwater, was the first to privately mention that one of the supporting actors was actually a relative of mine. He said he did not want to bring it up, but as his friend, the actor had wanted to meet me and did not know how to approach me.
That surprised me. A relative? What relative? The only relatives I had were from my mom's side of the family, the ones I had only recently found out about.
And I thought they hated me.
When I thought back to the movie, I did remember seeing an actor who bore some resemblance to me.
"Which one?" I asked.
Jake looked back and spotted a man who was trying to leave. He called out, "Eric! Eric!" Some others who were with us also called, "Lawson! Lawson!"
"I think I'll go meet him," I said. I told Jake and the others that it was a good movie and gave them my contact information in case they wanted to talk.
I walked over and finally found the man, probably one of the sons of my mother's cousins.
"Hello," I said.
Eric looked a bit intimidated. "Hello," he said back.
"I'm told we're related," I said.
"Yes," Eric said hesitantly. "But I don't really want to…"
"Are you embarrassed to be seen with me?" I asked, good naturedly.
"No, no," Eric said quickly. "I'm a huge fan. It's just… I know that my mother and yours don't really…"
"Get along," I finished.
"Yes," Eric said.
"Well, that's their problem," I said. "I'd like to get to know you, if you'd like."
Eric relaxed slightly. "I have no problem with that, if you have no problem."
I smiled, and then we began walking and talking.
Eric was the son of Madeline Lawson, the second daughter of my mom's uncle.
Eric told me how he wanted to do theatre and had big ambitions of making it as an actor there.
"You were good in the movie," I said. "A bit stiff sometimes, though."
Eric grimaced. "Yeah, I was a bit awkward on camera sometimes."
"That's fine," I said. "You're learning, after all."
From our conversation, I gathered that Eric's choice of profession was not liked by his family.
He did mention some things that had happened between my mom and her family, but I didn't want to dig into it, and I don't think he wanted to talk about it either. He told me what he knew came from a very biased source, and there were a lot of choice words said about my mom and my dad, whoever he was.
Okay. Maybe this whole thing was starting to interest me, even though I had tried to shut it out of my life.
As our conversation came to a close, I asked him, "Are you in any plays?"
"Yes, one in a few months," he said.
"I'd like to see it," I said. "We're in the same business, after all."
Eric mistook my meaning, thinking I was offering help to be recognized as my cousin. "I don't want that," he said quickly. "I'm doing fine."
"I just want to see your play," I said. "But I'll also help if you need it."
Eric thanked me for that.
We parted ways, exchanging numbers.
I watched him go.
He seemed like a good kid. I'd definitely go and see his play if he called again. That was for sure.
And maybe I should ask Mom about what happened between her and her family.
=========
THE WITCH – Review ★★★★ (4/5 Stars)
It is the 1630s, and a family of Christian Puritans has been banished from their settlement. William (Ralph Ineson) and his wife, Katherine (Kate Dickie), decide to settle with their five children on the cusp of a vast forest. Isolated and no longer members of their community, the family must now fend for itself by hunting, caretaking, and surviving. One day, as the oldest child, Thomasin (Anya Taylor-Joy), tends to her infant brother, a momentary glance away results in the disappearance of baby Sam. Who took the child? Was it a wolf in the woods, or something infinitely more demonic, like a witch? This traumatic event leads the family to slowly turn in on itself, allowing doubt to cloud their minds as both religious fanaticism and madness begin to creep in.
Writer and director Daniel Adler eschews the modern tropes of horror, such as gore, cheap moments of blaring music, and shock and awe, and instead crafts a more artistic piece that examines numerous elements of witchcraft, Christian worship, and Satanism, all without beating the audience over the head with his personal beliefs, whatever they may be. The Witch is a film of atmosphere, of tension slowly building. If you are the type of moviegoer who prefers to watch an unstoppable killer hack and slash their way through the countryside, prepare for disappointment. Likewise, if you are a deeply religious individual who is personally offended by gleeful incorporations of Beelzebub or animals used for divine intervention, this may not be the film for you.
That is about all that can be said regarding what transpires throughout The Witch, as the fresher you walk in, the better your experience will be. This is a film I admire for Adler's commitment to his tale, for the measured approach he takes in telling it, for some stellar acting, with Taylor-Joy being nearly impossible to take your eyes off of, and for several truly terrifying moments on screen. Adler has fixed many of the issues that plague modern horror, including overwrought jump scares, lazy exposition, and a reliance on gore over dread. The pacing is tighter than expected, and the witch herself is given just enough screen time to become a haunting presence without overstaying her welcome.
However, the film is not without its flaws. The period dialogue nearly killed me. Early Modern English sounds authentic, sure, but I spent half the runtime trying to parse what anyone was saying. Additionally, while Thomasin's arc is richly developed, some of the other family members feel slightly underwritten. This is a slow burn through and through, and while the tension builds effectively, there are stretches, particularly in the first act, where the film lingers longer than necessary. The witch's limited screen time, while thematically justified, may also frustrate audiences hoping for more overt supernatural horror.
The film's unrelenting bleakness is another potential stumbling block. There is no levity here, no moment of respite. From beginning to end, The Witch is suffocating in its despair, and while that serves the story, it also makes for an exhausting viewing experience. This is not a film you watch for fun. It is a film you endure, and whether that is a feature or a flaw will depend entirely on your tolerance for darkness.
That said, the film's effect lingers long after the credits roll. The internal decay of the family is sharply drawn, with Thomasin's dissatisfaction with her life, her longing for liberation, seeded throughout the film, making her disturbing conclusion feel earned rather than abrupt.
The Witch is a good movie, a solid effort with several chilling moments from a first time director proving he can handle the camera as well as the pen. For a first-time director, this is impressive work. I'm curious what Adler does next.