WhenThe Blair Witch Projectwas first released in theaters in 1999, people famously thought that it was a true story, which contributed to how terrifying it seemed. In the movie, three college students played by Joshua Leonard, Michael Williams, and Heather Donahue travel to Burkittsville, Maryland to film a documentary about the legend of The Blair Witch, and they make a campsite at Coffin Rock.
Besides the way the movie was marketed, The Blair Witch Project’s ending is one reason why it has made such a lasting impression on the horror genre. While the entire movie has a creepy tone, the end is definitely terrifying and memorable.
RELATED:This Horror Film Basically Created The Idea Of Viral Marketing
What Happens At The End of The Blair Witch Project?
Stephen King foundThe Blair Witch Projectscary, and it’s easy to see why, as the ending is brutal. Heather has a particularly emotional end to her arc. She turns the camera on herself and films a brief moment that she wants her family and Josh and Mike’s relatives to see, as she knows that they are going to die and thinks that this is all her fault. She is distraught at seeing a t-shirt that Josh was wearing inside a group of twigs and also a tongue, finger, hair, and teeth.
Heather and Mike try to find Josh, and his yelling leads them to what was once a house. This is the image that stays with audiences, as there are blood-covered and child-size handprints on the walls, along with symbolism that suggests devil worship. When Heather goes into the house’s basement, she tries to talk to Mike, who is staring at the wall in a creepy manner.
Heather is attacked by something offscreen, which is implied to be The Blair Witch, and the camera falls to the floor. WhileThe Blair Witch Projectis ahorror movie that has become less scary, watching it for the first time is definitely horrifying. The ending suggests that anyone who dares enter these woods will meet the same fate.
The Blair Witch Projectending is a masterclass in how to properly conclude a found footage movie. Too often, these films end in a vague way that is meant to be mysterious and interesting, but instead, audiences wish for more closure. It’s compelling not to show Heather or Mike’s deaths, as implying that this is what happens is much scarier. Having Heather show her emotions about the situation that they are all in is also a clever move. While it’s not exactly relatable to watch three people camping in the woods and believing that a witch is nearby, since chances are that viewers would say that this could never happen, Heather’s feelings are relatable.
The fact that Heather, Mike, and Josh die feels inevitable but still shocking. As soon as they begin camping in the woods, this seems to be the only way that their story can end, as themysterious Blair Witch figure’s presence can be felt the entire time.
WhatThe Blair Witch Projectending does so well is thoroughly convince audiences that the witch is real and causing havoc and death. Without this, it would be tough to buy the ending and it would seem like of course the three main characters could escape. But it never feels like they can get away from the horror in front of them.
Does The Ending Affect The 2016 Blair Witch Reboot?
The sequelBook of Shadows: Blair Witch 2was released in 2000 and a reboot,Blair Witch, was released in 2016. It’s interesting that this is a direct sequel to the original 1999 movie and doesn’t take the events of the 2000 sequel into account. The reboot takes place in 2014 and features James Donahue (James Allen McCune), who thinks that Heather from the original story is his sister, going into the same woods with Lisa Arlington (Callie Hernandez), who studies film in college, Peter Jones (Brandon Scott), and Ashley Bennett (Corbin Reid), who is dating Peter.
The ending ofThe Blair Witch Projectdirectly leads into the 2016 reboot, as James knows that his sister died along with her two friends, and he wonders if he’s going to suffer the same fate.The Blair Witchreboot isn’t as badas some think, as it’s fun to see the character using cellphones. It has the same ending as the original movie, a divisive choice that some might like and others might think isn’t creative enough.
The Blair Witch Projectending works since it still allows for the 2016 reboot to function on its own. Since one main character is related to a character from the original movie, this is the thread that connects the two films, but the characters can stand on their own and do their own investigation of the witch.
