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Movies / On DVD / The Wicker Man
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.

Rated: 18

Runtime: 3 hrs 7 mins

Genre: Horror/Suspense

Theatrical Release:24-08-2007

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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Reviews for The Wicker Man

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1 - 20 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
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Reviews
Tomatometer Critic Review Category
tomato
3/5

Derek Malcolm

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

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Aug., 24 2007 07:27 AM

This is London

tomato
4/5

Anthony Quinn

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

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Aug., 24 2007 06:45 AM

Independent

tomato

Tim Robey

Part folk musical, part occult chiller, and quite mad.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Aug., 24 2007 05:16 AM

Daily Telegraph

tomato
5/5

Peter Bradshaw

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: | comment Comment | Aug., 24 2007 04:49 AM

Guardian [UK]

tomato
4/5

Kevin Maher

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: | comment Comment | Aug., 24 2007 04:22 AM

Times [UK]

tomato
5/5

The ultimate British cult classic - a unique film that straddles genres, features Christopher Lee in a dress and builds toward one of cinema's most memorable climaxes.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Aug., 24 2007 03:54 AM

Channel 4 Film

tomato
5/5

It’s a heady brew, but Hardy keep the mystery simmering, while his staging of several merrie pagan songs – and of course the chilling climax – is truly memorable.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Aug., 24 2007 03:18 AM

Total Film

tomato
5/5

Adam Smith

The Wicker Man is, more than anything else, a film about what people can do in the name of religion or, more generally, belief. Its power comes not from appeals to the supernatural but from a deep understanding of our own undeniable nature.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Aug., 24 2007 02:33 AM

Empire Magazine

tomato
3/6

Wally Hammond

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: | comment Comment | Jan., 26 2006 03:15 AM

Time Out

tomato
5/5

Jamie Russell

A movie that'll burn its way into your unconscious and give you nightmares for many years to come.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Dec., 18 2001 08:03 AM

BBC

tomato

Fernando F. Croce

A mordant study of theological anxiety

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Oct., 10 2009 11:53 PM

CinePassion

tomato
B-

Steven D. Greydanus

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Oct., 29 2008 03:15 AM

Decent Films Guide

tomato
3.5/4

It remains a fine example of occult horror that remains with the viewer well past its conclusion.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Oct., 07 2008 03:48 PM

TV Guide's Movie Guide

tomato

Variety Staff

Anthony Shaffer penned the screenplay which, for sheer imagination and near-terror, has seldom been equalled.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Oct., 07 2008 03:46 PM

Variety

tomato

Dave Kehr

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: | comment Comment | Oct., 07 2008 03:37 PM

Chicago Reader

tomato

Felix Gonzalez Jr.

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

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Jul., 10 2007 09:52 PM

DVD Review

splat

Staci Layne Wilson

The premise is quite intriguing and is certainly sinister, but it's undermined by a too-leisurely pace and musical numbers that are straight out of an x-rated fetish-fantasy as imagined by Walt Disney.

Full Review Source: | comment 5 Comments | Dec., 16 2006 12:59 PM

About.com

tomato
A

Dennis Schwartz

One of best horror films ever made.

Full Review Source: | comment 1 Comment | Sep., 10 2006 12:32 AM

Ozus' World Movie Reviews

tomato
3.5/5

Kevin Carr

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: | comment Comment | Aug., 31 2006 12:16 AM

7M Pictures

tomato

Graham Fuller

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

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Aug., 29 2006 02:00 PM

Village Voice

 
 
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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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