A fan theory about The Blair Witch Project suggests that the identity of the witch may have been revealed in the film all along... it's just that none of us noticed it.
Released back in 1999, The Blair Witch Project was a creepy found-footage horror film which has since grossed nearly $248.6 million (£182 million) worldwide and become a cult classic of the genre, later spawning two sequels in 2000 and 2016.
The film follows the story of young filmmakers Josh, Heather and Mike, pursuing an ambitious project to uncover the story of a local legend known as the 'Blair Witch'.
After arriving on location in Burkittsville, Maryland, the trio is warned against the project by local townsfolk but continues their investigation regardless and heads into the nearby Black Hills forest.
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Once inside the forest things go drastically wrong for Heather, Josh and Mike, with the film ending with what appears to be the trio's deaths and the true identity of the Blair Witch unsolved.
However, this may not be the case after all.
In a Reddit thread dedicated to discussing popular fan theories, one user suggested the identity of the witch was actually revealed in the film, we just didn't notice.
Sharing their theory, the user claimed the witch was actually the elderly woman named Mary Brown, who reveals that she'd seen the Blair Witch during an interview with Heather early on in the film.
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"I think that the crazy shut in woman who claimed to have seen the witch as a child was in fact the witch all along," the user suggests. "It is clearly shown that she is mentally unstable during the interview and while in the car Heather mentions that she also made several other ridiculous claims that seem to boast her self perceived fame"
The user goes on to suggest that Mary is motivated by boosting her 'self perceived fame' and decided to manipulate the group.
"When hearing about how these kids are investigating the legend she decides to use them as a way to finally get her recognition, something she does by stalking, terrorising, and murdering them in the woods," the post continues.
"She then is the one who collected the tapes and turned them into the police so that she could finally be seen in the spotlight and also prove to everyone that she is not crazy."
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The theory has since sparked plenty of debate, with one person noting how the gate leading to her trailer resembles the stick men which the group later find in the trees.
However, not everyone was convinced by the idea, with one person debunking the idea by pointing out how the group's filming equipment was found by students years later.
Another user suggested that time travel was to blame for the trio's demise, with one person writing: "They went back in time, back to when the woods were a lot larger. They were killed by Rustin Parr, not Mary Brown or anyone else.
"This would explain why the search party searched the entire woods twice and found absolutely zero trace of them even though they were still alive when they were searching. It's a little far fetched but it makes sense.
"The house still standing even though it was burnt down 60+ years ago isn't a plot hole."
Topics: Film, Entertainment, Reddit
Brenna Cooper