The puritan psyche of a devoutly religious but vaguely disgraced family homesteading on the edge of an ominous forest in 1630 New England begins to decay when crops fail, animals turn malevolent, an infant vanishes, and a teenager becomes possessed. Robert Eggers’s impressive, highly atmospheric debut feature is an understated art-horror masterpiece that will earn your dread and stay with you. The deeply disturbing imagery is photographed with an eerie austerity. The cast is perfect, the sound design is startlingly imaginative, and the authentic old-world dialogue adds an extra touch of weirdness. (92 min)