The Blackcoat's Daughter
The Blackcoat's Daughter
Two terrified girls must battle a mysterious evil force when they get left behind at their boarding school over winter break.
rg9400 reviewedNovember 1, 2024
I'm fairly shocked by the low scores for this movie. The imagery can be fantastic at times with very effective building of atmosphere. The acting from Emma Roberts and Kiernan Shipka in particular helps quite a bit. The plot isn't particularly obtuse either, with a straightforward approach that focuses much more on style and vibes than something more allegorical. I think the biggest drawback of the film is its structure where it jumps between perspectives and time at strange moments. In particular, it very clearly (and intentionally) seems to tip its hand halfway through the movie, but then seems to draw out the reveal until the end of the movie as if it is a surprise. I feel like something more linear would have served the movie much better. I also don't love the more nihilistic tone. Regardless, if you like very striking horror imagery with some excellent vibes, this movie is actually pretty good! Osgood Perkins has a lot of potential as a director. It's certainly a better watch than a cookie cutter generic horror movie, even if the score doesn't reflect that.