We Still Can't Believe That 'The Witch' Was Anya Taylor-Joy’s First Ever Movie (2024)

Anya Taylor-Joy has become one of the most in-demand young actresses working today, and is already receiving praise for her performance in the upcoming Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga despite her mere 30 lines of dialogue. Since her film debut in 2015, Taylor-Joy has shown her ability to adapt to pretty much any genre, from horror films to romantic comedies, and everything in between. Most recently, she was part of the ridiculously stacked cast of Dune: Part Two, though she only made a brief cameo as Alia Atreides. Taylor-Joy has big shoes to fill in playing the younger version of Charlize Theron's Imperator Furiosa from Mad Max: Fury Road, but if there's any young actress equipped for the job, it's her. Looking back at her first film role in The Witch nearly a decade on, Taylor-Joy's subsequent rise to stardom is not at all surprising. She thrives in Robert Eggers' feature directorial debut, a thought-provoking folk horror film about a teenage girl pushed to her limit when she's subject to a witch hunt by her own family.

The Witch

R

Horror

Mystery

A family in 1630s New England is torn apart by the forces of witchcraft, black magic and possession.

Release Date

January 27, 2015

Director

Robert Eggers

Cast

Anya Taylor-Joy , Ralph Ineson , Kate Dickie , Harvey Scrimshaw , Ellie Grainger , Lucas Dawson

Anya Taylor-Joy Hated Her Performance in 'The Witch'

Before her film debut, Anya Taylor-Joy had an uncredited background role in the 2014 comedy horror film Vampire Academy but was left out of the final cut. After a brief stint on the British drama series Atlantis, she landed the lead role in The Witch, earning critical acclaim for her performance as Thomasin, a young Puritan girl whose family accuses her of witchcraft. Despite her impressive performance, which earned her the Gotham Independent Film Award for Breakthrough Actor in 2016, Taylor-Joy was devastated when she saw herself on the big screen for the first time, telling The Hollywood Reporter in 2021, "I thought I’d never work again, I still get shivers thinking about it. It was just the worst feeling of, 'I have let down the people I love most in the world. I didn’t do it right.'" Critics, viewers, and Eggers himself thought otherwise, and Taylor-Joy would later star in Eggers' third film, The Northman. She was also initially cast in his upcoming gothic horror film Nosferatu but was ultimately replaced by Lily-Rose Depp due to scheduling conflicts.

In an interesting twist of fate: Taylor-Joy was offered the role of Thomasin in The Witch on the same day she was asked to star in a Disney Channel pilot. She explained the reason behind her choice in a 2022 interview with Harper's Bazaar, stating "I just had this really good feeling about The Witch that made me willing to forego the Disney experience for the thing that felt unknown to me, the thing that felt sacred." Though we've seen actresses like Zendaya and Jenna Ortega successfully transition from their early Disney Channel work to more serious roles, it's hard to imagine Taylor-Joy ever starring in a family-friendly Disney sitcom, even 10 years ago. Fortunately, she had the foresight to take the leap with Eggers, and we were graced with her captivating performance in The Witch instead.

Anya Taylor-Joy Shines in Her Film Debut

Set in 1630s New England, The Witch follows a Puritan family who is banished from their settlement for refusing to abide by the church's rules, relocating to a remote piece of land near a pretty ominous forest. As the eldest daughter, Thomasin gets blamed for every tragedy that befalls them, including the disappearance of her newborn little brother Samuel. As things continue to escalate and her brother Caleb (Harvey Scrimshaw) tragically dies, both of her parents fully turn against her and accuse her of witchcraft. The way Anya Taylor-Joy depicts the evolution of Thomasin's character from wide-eyed innocence to eventually signing her name in the devil's book is impressive on so many levels.

For her debut film, Taylor-Joy had a number of significant factors working in her favor: Eggers' writing and direction, incredible performances from Kate Dickie, Ralph Ineson, and Harvey Scrimshaw, and a juicy, complex character for her to explore. Thomasin is a young woman trapped in an oppressive religion with an abusive mother, a father who lets her take the fall for his mistakes, and a brother who won't stop looking at her cleavage; not to mention her younger siblings Jonas (Lucas Dawson) and Mercy (Ellie Grainger) who first accuse her of witchcraft. Whether she’s on-screen by herself, dealing with her conniving younger siblings, or clashing with her overbearing parents, it's nearly impossible to take your eyes off her.

As Thomasin is consumed by guilt over Samuel's unexplainable disappearance, Mercy blames her for letting a witch steal him. Caleb insists that a wolf took Samuel, but Thomasin, in an attempt to scare Mercy, declares that she herself is the witch of the wood. This is Taylor-Joy's first big moment to shine, and the scene, shot at a slightly low angle, puts the viewer in Mercy's shoes, making Thomasin appear more physically intimidating. Her "I am that very witch" monologue is a revelatory moment for her character, and Taylor-Joy's line delivery and body language noticeably shift as it progresses. She starts out speaking slowly and even a bit theatrically, in a way that suggests she's improvising this fake admission just to scare Mercy into dropping the subject of witchcraft altogether. But after Thomasin mentions signing the devil's book, her eyes darken, Mark Korven's score starts to kick in, and we see her true emotions come through. Thomasin's speech gets progressively faster and louder as she lunges at Mercy, and it's clear her anger comes from a real place since, as Mercy just bluntly reminded her, their mother hates her and her family blames her for Sam's disappearance.

The Witch is a film characterized by repression, and another high point in Taylor-Joy's performance shows Thomasin's deeply repressed anger coming to the surface yet again. When her father, who had thus far been marginally sympathetic towards her, becomes convinced she is a witch, her pain and betrayal quickly turn into rage. She lays out all of his faults and finally confronts him about everything he's subjected her to, asking him "Is that truth?" over and over as she verbally eviscerates him.

Anya Taylor-Joy Sticks the Landing in 'The Witch's Iconic Ending

The ending of The Witch, similar to that of Ari Aster's 2019 folk horror film Midsommar, has been subject to much discussion, and the shot of Anya Taylor-Joy smiling with blood all over her neck has become an enduring image from the film. When Thomasin finds herself the sole survivor on the farm, she seeks out Black Phillip (Daniel Malik) and signs her name in the devil's book, ready to embrace the dark forces she had already been accused of wielding. She walks through the woods naked, finding her way to a bonfire where a coven of witches is gathered. As they begin to levitate, Thomasin does too, smiling and laughing as she rises through the trees.

Instead of anger, Thomasin's repressed emotions manifest in laughter, joy, and relief. Stranded on a desolate farm among the corpses of her entire family, joining Black Phillip is pretty much Thomasin's only viable option, and he makes the taste of butter sound so tempting. The moment Thomasin starts to levitate, she's able to let go of all of her guilt, pain, and anger, which Taylor-Joy portrays perfectly. Thomasin's elated smile and muted laughter, the bonfire's sinister shadows, and the bone-chilling score combine to create a memorable ending to Taylor-Joy's first film.

The Witch is available to stream on Max in the U.S.

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