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DILLON ON FILM
Why is The Wicker Man So Terrifying?
Robin Hardy’s 1973 folk horror classic still gets under the skin
Warning: Contains spoilers.
You’ll notice I included the year in the above subheading. Why? Because thanks to the truly wretched Nicolas Cage-starring 2006 remake, I always have to make that clarification when discussing The Wicker Man. It is absolutely infuriating, and one day those responsible will have to answer to God for their actions; both for the execrable remake, and for causing me to waste my time in conversation and articles by adding all those extra clarifying words.
Speaking of God, his apparent absence in The Wicker Man is one of the most interesting aspects of the story. This isn’t a supernatural tale, but one that either affirms absolute faith or condemns it as delusional in the face of a godless universe. That the film is so open to interpretation is one of its many strengths. That it is so deeply alarming, even nearly fifty years later, is another. Yes, I probably should have waited another year to pen this piece, to coincide with the 50th anniversary, but dammit, I’ve wanted to write about Robin Hardy’s folk horror masterpiece for some time, and I can’t be bothered to wait any longer.
