The Witch (2015)

Robert Eggers's 'The Witch' (2015) is the most historically rigorous horror film ever made, recreating 1630s New England with obsessive precision. Rather than relying on a cursed object, Eggers weaponizes Puritan paranoia and family breakdown, using authentic period dialogue and a goat named Black Phillip to create a horror that feels both historical and timeless. The film's success launched a new wave of elevated horror, proving that period accuracy and thematic depth can terrify modern audiences.