HorroRated archive entry
HorroRated pickThe Wicker Man
HorroRated verdict
- Directed by
- Robin Hardy
- Written by
- Anthony Shaffer, David Pinner
- Produced by
- Peter Snell
Why it’s HorroRated
The Wicker Man earns its ending by spending the whole film making you feel like you're missing something obvious. Sergeant Howie doesn't understand what he's walked into, and by the time he does, it's too late. Robin Hardy built something that feels ancient and inevitable. One of the most perfectly constructed horror films ever made.
Synopsis
Howie arrives on Summerisle carrying the authority of the law and the certainty of his faith, neither of which the community shares or particularly respects. Everyone is friendly. Nobody tells him anything useful. Robin Hardy builds the dread through ritual, folk song, and the slow accumulation of a feeling Howie can't quite name until it's far too late.
Filed under
Quick facts
- Release date
- December 6, 1973
- Runtime
- 1 hour 33 mins
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Language
- English
- Content rating
- R
- Entry type
- Movie
