So interesting how horror movie discussions always boil down to people who like/dislike The Conjuring and The Babadook. Sad to see It Follows lumped in with those two: it's a beautiful example of what can be achieved in horror through extreme subtlety, despite its weak ending.
While The Witch might be as divisive as Conjuring and Babadook in terms of "will I enjoy it?", as a piece of cinema, it has much more in common with It Follows, Alien, Blair Witch, etc; in that regardless of one's enjoyment of the film, it's hard not to recognize that what's being attempted is novel and interesting as a piece of unique horror cinema.
Despite being a huge fan of the genre it spawned, I have no time at all for Blair Witch. I think the film is tedious, because its attempt to rope me in with tension doesn't catch, for whatever reason. But it's a damned impressive movie that I respect and appreciate on a level that transcends my subjective feelings.
The Babadook and The Conjuring are like The Boy, Annabelle, The Last Exorcism, The Awakening, Jessabelle, 10 Clover Field Lane, The Purge, and the myriad other horror flicks that we might feel are amazing or lousy, but would be hard pressed to call objectively unique, unusual, and different pieces of cinema - at least to the degree such objective assessment is possible.
I'd add It Follows and The Witch to The Woman, Estranged, Goodnight Mommy, Martyrs, Funny Games, and other more rare examples of films that successfully bring something fresh and exciting into the world, whether or not they click with me on a level of personal taste. Anyone on the fence who can empathize with me on this will probably have a better idea about what to expect from The Witch.
