The Wicker Man (1973)

Directed by: Robin Hardy | 99 minutes | crime, musical, horror, thriller | Actors: Edward Woodward, Christopher Lee, Diane Cilento, Britt Ekland, Russell Waters, Irene Sunters

A legendary cult classic that exudes an unusual mystical atmosphere. ‘The Wicker Man’ is haunting and mysterious, but also daring, experimental and original, leaving you stunned after a blood-curdling finale. This film has everything you could wish for in a good thriller or horror and offers much more, which more than justifies the classic stamp for this film.

The film follows police sergeant Neil Howie who tries to solve the disappearance of a young girl while he knows as little about it as the viewer, which makes it extra exciting from the start. Barely arrived on the island, he enters a bar with an ominous atmosphere. We’ve seen this fact of a stranger arriving somewhere unwelcome in movies countless times, but Summerisle’s residents are rarely menacing without becoming immediately dangerous. Many absurd scenes take place on the island, which are reviewed in the form of a number of alienating scenes that are largely unexplained (in one of these scenes we see 70s sex symbol Britt Ekland performing a very strange worship ritual). ). The fact that all these quirky scenes aren’t explained anywhere could perhaps be seen as laziness on the part of the makers, but in the context of the story it only adds to the mysteriously elusive atmosphere of the film.

Finally, Sergeant Howie tracks down Lord Summerisle (Christopher Lee), the sort of high priest of the sectarian island population, and this man definitely seems to have something to hide. In addition, another pagan party is coming up on the island and Howie suspects that bad things could happen again. Howie hopes to find out what’s going on before more people die. Telling more would only ruin the viewing pleasure: ‘The Wicker Man’ is typically one of those movies that you can hardly talk about in front of people who haven’t seen it yet, because before you know it you’ll be the far( r) revealing denouement. The only advice that can be given about this film is simply see, see, see! ‘Strange about ‘The Wicker Man’ is also that after this film we have heard almost nothing from director Robin Hardy, screenwriter Anthony Shaffer and lead actor Edward Woodward. You would almost think that some pagan curses have indeed been cast on these men for revealing the horrific secret of ‘The Wicker Man’…