73/100

”Come. It is time to keep your appointment with the Wicker Man.”

There’s such an eerie sense of atmosphere here that I feel like has only been done this well since Ridley Scott’s Alien. Now I know that that’s a big comparison given that’s probably my favorite horror film of all-time, but man the way in which director Robin Hardy creates this film with such a terrifyingly simple premise works wonders. I feel like I’ve seen this done before, but I honestly think what makes it as creepy as it is, is how genuinely this could happen to anyone. That’s the real scary truth if it all; normal things that slowly unravel into terrifying fates is the scariest thing this world has to offer.

Watching Edward Woodward’s Sergeant Howie be literally trapped inside of his own crazy mind and completely derail himself as the film gets stranger and the threat gets more and more real is one of the finer aspects of the film. On top of that, the creepy and unsettling performances from Christopher Lee, Diane Cilento, & Britt Ekland make it all come together to create such a great atmospheric horror film. That’s what really makes this film one of a kind is the simplest ideas and just the little bit of strangeness come together. The Wicker Man is an absolute classic and although I didn’t find it to be as spectacular as many others have, I can still find myself making this an October tradition.

Hooptober 9: 15/31
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