When this film came out I was in the Army Basic training, and back then a new recruit was completely cut from the rest of the world. I only learned about this film because I hear about it from someone else. I had zero knowledge about the sleazy marketing campaign.
As we were going to the movies. I heard that this was supposed to be a real found documentary from three missing young film makers. I hate to say this, but you have to have been an idiot back in 1999 to believe this. I know that back then the internet was still considered for weirdos and friendless dorks. Still, there is no such thing as witches or ghosts....so yeah, apparently there are a lot of stupids roaming in cars in our communities.
When I watched I absolutely loved it, and thought it was very scary, and it gave me the shivers. The Blair Witch Project is obviously not made for the contemporary audience, especially for the younger audience of today. For several reasons, one is that I think the young audience, has already seen plenty of movies made in a faux documentary stile...but this was the 1st for me, and the audience of when this movie first came out.
But, I suspect there is another reason why this movie is much less favorably received, buy the audience of today. You see, back in 1999 when you are 18 or 20 years old. Children, were not addicted to their phones, video games, and a cornucopia of crap to watch on streaming services.
We at that time spent a lot of time outdoors, camping, hiking, and without the aid of hand held GPS devices or cell phones. This is where The Blair Witch Project shines. Back then it was a real possibility get lost in the woods, without the aid of tech such as simply calling for help anytime you like. Even getting lost in your car could be quite an experience, as in locating a gas station and having to rely on strangers with strange dialects for direction.
Being alone in your tent in the night without any quick support, things breaking outside your tent, leaves falling and scraping the tent exterior, and animals making strange sounds, was a real cause for alarm. And this type of experience really resonated with me. Like getting lost and starting to panic, etc. And when you introduce an element of actual unexplained monsters into the scenario was actually quite terrifying (just got a bit of the shivers thinking about it).
I am not surprised that The Blair Witch Project doesn't resonate well today, and especially with young audience smothered, by helicopter parents of today...and I know plenty of these parents now, lol. Man we used to get kicked out of the house, lol, and it was perfectly normal.
So, I still recommend this film to younger "high-tech" audience, because of this film's importance in cinema history, and if you happen to make it this far in my review. To be scared, you really have to keep in mind, the mindset of the people back in 1999. No cell phones, LED lights, no massive flood lights at every rural property, population density is less than by 35% than in 2024. And if you get hurt, like due to dehydration, or cut yourself, or just run out of gas, no one is coming for a long time. And when the help comes it will be from a complete stranger who sees your emergency lights. You step outside in almost compete darkness, and you hear a snort-wheeze from an angry mature buck for the first time, I promise you it sounds like some monster out of the movies...how would that make you feel?
Enjoy!
