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The Wicker Man

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The Wicker Man (1973)

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Reviews Counted:45

Fresh:41

Rotten:4

Average Rating:7.7/10

Consensus: This intelligent horror film is subtle in its thrills and chills, with an ending that is both shocking and truly memorable.

Runtime: 3 hrs 7 mins

Genre: Horror/Suspense

Synopsis: A notoriously troubled production notwithstanding, the controversial cult classic THE WICKER MAN is now regarded as a classic of British cinema. Edward Woodward stars as Sergeant Howie, a naive... A notoriously troubled production notwithstanding, the controversial cult classic THE WICKER MAN is now regarded as a classic of British cinema. Edward Woodward stars as Sergeant Howie, a naive young police officer sent to Summerisle, a secluded island off the coast of Scotland, to investigate the disappearance of a young girl named Rowan. When he arrives there, he finds a very tight-knit community that is mistrustful and hostile to outsiders. No one is willing to even acknowledge Rowan's disappearance. Soon, Howie begins to realize that the town might, in fact, be a strange pagan cult, one given to unbridled sexuality and possible human sacrifice. Seeking an audience with the oddly civilized Lord Summerisle (Christopher Lee), Howie hopes to get to the bottom of the mystery, but instead he finds something more shocking than he could have ever imagined. Written by Anthony Shaffer (SLEUTH, DEATH ON THE NILE), Robin Hardy's eerie film paints a disturbing portrait of an almost prehistoric, multi-deity worshipping society given to bizarre rituals and Bacchanalian excess. Though recognition may have been a long time coming, THE WICKER MAN stands as a strikingly original achievement that is equal parts horror, drama, comedy, and musical. [More]

Starring: Edward Woodward, Christopher Lee, Britt Ekland, Diane Cilento

Starring: Edward Woodward, Christopher Lee, Britt Ekland, Diane Cilento, Ingrid Pitt, Lindsay Kemp, Russell Waters, Aubrey Morris

Director: Robin Hardy

Director: Robin Hardy
Screenwriter: Anthony Shaffer
Producer: Peter Snell

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Release:

Dec 9, 2008

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Reviews for The Wicker Man

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1 - 20 (sorted by critic A-Z)
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One of the most intelligent and visually distinctive horror films of the '70s.

Full Review Source: eye WEEKLY | comment Comment
10/30/01
Jason Anderson
Jason Anderson
eye WEEKLY

Robin Hardy's and Anthony Shaffer's horror film recently made the BBC's list of the 100 greatest British films ever made.

Full Review Source: Combustible Celluloid | comment Comment
05/17/04
Jeffrey M. Anderson
Jeffrey M. Anderson
Combustible Celluloid

Very intelligent and engaging.

Full Review Source: rec.arts.movies.reviews | comment Comment
01/01/00
Dragan Antulov
Dragan Antulov
rec.arts.movies.reviews

Like many of the best horror/thrillers, The Wicker Man works because it surprises audiences, relying on carefully-nurtured suspense rather than cheap, theatrical shocks.

Full Review Source: ReelViews | comment Comment
02/24/02
James Berardinelli
James Berardinelli
ReelViews
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

This unnerving chiller rises above genre conventions to deliver its own kinds of cool dread and surprises.

Full Review Source: DVDJournal.com | comment Comment
04/05/06
Mark Bourne
Mark Bourne
DVDJournal.com

A British golden-oldie worthy to be placed alongside classics such as Ira Levin's The Stepford Wives or Rosemary's Baby.

Full Review Source: Guardian [UK] | comment Comment
08/24/07
Peter Bradshaw
Peter Bradshaw
Guardian [UK]

Stick with this creepy 1973 masterpiece and you’ll be rewarded by a memorable, haunting ending that follows an almost unbearably tense build-up.

Full Review Source: Apollo Guide | comment Comment
05/15/02
Catherine Cantieri
Catherine Cantieri
Apollo Guide

They deliberately cast horror icons to help them break the mold... if you keep in mind its original context, it can be a very interesting film.

Full Review Source: 7M Pictures | comment Comment
08/31/06
Kevin Carr
Kevin Carr
7M Pictures

A mordant study of theological anxiety

Full Review Source: CinePassion | comment Comment
10/10/09
Fernando F. Croce
Fernando F. Croce
CinePassion

The Wicker Man's genre-bending, thematic daring, and tortuous history have made it the U.K.'s definitive cult movie.

Full Review Source: Village Voice | comment Comment
08/29/06
Graham Fuller
Graham Fuller
Village Voice
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

It envelops you in a time and space that is unfamiliar, fascinating, exotic, and frightening all at once.

Full Review Source: DVD Review | comment Comment
07/10/07
Felix Gonzalez Jr.
Felix Gonzalez Jr.
DVD Review

Essentially, it’s an insane guilty pleasure, still enjoyable for its delightfully eccentric casting and for the funniest, creepiest pub scene in British movies outside of next week’s reissue, ‘Withnail & I’.

Full Review Source: Time Out | comment Comment
01/26/06
Wally Hammond
Wally Hammond
Time Out

Robin Hardy's 1973 cult horror film passed through several distributors, several versions, and several bankruptcies, picking up a powerful reputation along the way.

Full Review Source: Chicago Reader | comment Comment
10/07/08
Dave Kehr
Dave Kehr
Chicago Reader
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Devised by its star Christopher Lee, director Robin Hardy and writer Anthony Shaffer as a meditation on the rise of New Age spiritualism, the movie is now, of course, gleefully camp and a tad reactionary.

Full Review Source: Times [UK] | comment Comment
08/24/07
Kevin Maher
Kevin Maher
Times [UK]

You can't help smiling at the audacity of it all and shivering a little at the feelbad ending.

Full Review Source: This is London | comment Comment
08/24/07
Derek Malcolm
Derek Malcolm
This is London

... a startling movie, bizarre and disturbing with some touches of macabre humor.

Full Review Source: Arkansas Democrat-Gazette | comment Comment
04/22/05
Philip Martin
Philip Martin
Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

It’s difficult to shake the disquieting climax of The Wicker Man.

Full Review Source: Filmcritic.com | comment Comment
08/24/01
Christopher Null
Christopher Null
Filmcritic.com

The Wicker Man has a few good ideas and a great last act, but everything that comes before it is essentially disposable.

Full Review Source: Reel Film Reviews | comment Comment
02/24/03
David Nusair
David Nusair
Reel Film Reviews

An astoundingly successful horror film.

Full Review Source: Goatdog's Movies | comment Comment
05/11/03
Michael W. Phillips, Jr.
Michael W. Phillips, Jr.
Goatdog's Movies

The tension occasionally goes slack, but hardly anything surpasses that clifftop finale for freakish terror.

Full Review Source: Independent | comment Comment
08/24/07
Anthony Quinn
Anthony Quinn
Independent
 
 
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Latest News for The Wicker Man

April 08, 2008: Wicker Man Sequel Scrapped
Turns out there is a sequel that can't get made. More...

December 27, 2007: Clive Barker and Guillermo del Toro Are Being Born
Clive Barker and Guillermo del Toro are getting ready to explore the dark side of Claymation. More...

August 31, 2006: Critical Consensus: "Crank" Is Well-Ranked; "Illusionist" Is Magic, "Crossover" Is An Air-Ball, "Wicker Man" Gets Burned
This week at the movies, we've got hoopsters with big dreams ("Crossover," starring Anthony Mackie), scary goings-on on remote islands ("The Wicker Man,"... More...

June 19, 2006: Check Out the New "Wicker" Pics
Color me very curious regarding Neil LaBute's upcoming "The Wicker Man." Here we have an indie filmmaker venturing into a new genre, while also remaking one of the... More...

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