Blair Witch is better than the last sequel, but that's not saying much. A less interesting retread of the 1999 smash hit that simply features a new cast of victims and updated technology, this new Blair Witch establishes little reason for existing, or why we should care.

Adam Wingard, the man behind the highly entertaining You're Next and The Guest, is not without talent, but Blair Witch feels like nothing more than a cash grab for the filmmaker. Wingard’s intelligent writing and impressive casting abilities are not on display here, as Blair Witch simply goes through the motions, repeating things that happened in the original, only in a less memorable or believable way.

Once again the actual Blair Witch stays off screen, a tactic that worked once--when you don't know what to expect. When you've seen it all before, you'd think a different angle would have been taken--but no, that would have required mixing up the formula. Can't have that.

The actors and their characters are instantly forgettable, many of them downright annoying. They do stupid things and spend most of their time shouting at each other to stop doing stupid things. I could barely tell them apart.

The movie itself isn't the slightest bit scary, perhaps not surprising given that after an initial viewing, the original Blair Witch Project revealed itself to be a film that basically consisted of people wandering around in the woods while sounds were made off screen.

Blair Witch isn't the worst horror movie you'll ever see, but it certainly is one of the most pointless. But hey, at least it's better than the first Blair Witch sequel. That counts for something. Right?

Review by Erik Samdahl unless otherwise indicated.