The Satanic Temple (not to be confused with the Church of Satan) is many things: a crusader of women's reproductive rights, a leader in advocating the advancement of science and reason, and perhaps most unexpectedly, a newly established connoisseur of great cinema. In a surprising move that served only to solidify its position as being woke af, the Temple announced Monday that it has partnered with A24 to host multiple screenings of the production company's critical horror darling The Witch.
The Witch, a movie that you should absolutely see, follows an exiled Puritan family in 17th-century New England as they traverse the wilderness away from the safety of their settlement. As they attempt to adjust to their new surroundings, they must survive both the elements and the dark forces that lurk in a neighboring forest. The film was researched, written, and directed by Robert Eggers, who dug deep into recorded folklore and witch stories of the same period to develop the film.
Without giving too much away, it's not difficult to understand what might appeal to the Satanic Temple in terms of the film's thematic elements and the repressive religious plight of its protagonist Thomasin, played by the immensely talented Anya Taylor-Joy. Jex Blackmore, National Spokesperson for The Satanic Temple, shared the news in a statement that heralded the film as "not only a powerful cinematic experience, but also an impressive presentation of Satanic insight that will inform contemporary discussion of religious experience." It's lit.
According to Scared Stiff Reviews, the Satanic Temple will begin hosting advance screenings of The Witch on Feb. 10 in New York City ahead of its official Feb. 19 release date. Additional screenings will also take place in Austin, Detroit, and Los Angeles. For more information, head here.