The Wicker Man

Starring: Nicolas Cage, Ellen Burstyn, Kate Beahan, Leelee Sobieski, Aaron Eckhart, James Franco
Directed by: Neil LaBute
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Horror, Drama
2006

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: A police officer (Nicolas Cage) travels to a mysterious private island, searching for a missing girl. The strange residents of the island seem to be hiding something- and it could have deadly consequences.

Review:

Tim: I actually liked this movie far more than I imagined I would. I want to say that this isn't a great movie. However, it does have good source material (the superior 1973 original), so it can't be all bad. The film manages to be quite creepy. Best of all, the film completely controls the tempo of the film- the movie starts out slow, and gets increasingly more and more nerveracking, until the final, unforgettable climax.

Nicholas Cage is fairly decent in the lead role. I've become less and less of a fan of Cage is recent years. He gives an odd performance, but he sells it. While he wasn't terrible, he wasn't excellent, either. The rest of the supporting cast is decent, but they aren't given too much to do. Ellen Burstyn and Leelee Sobieski are both wildly underutilized. I do have to mention James Franco- I absolutely loved seeing him in this film. He has a small, but very important role.

As far as horror movies go, there are many films far worse than this one. This movie is bizarre, unconventional, and definitely weird. This will probably turn many people off. The fact that this isn't an incredibly well made movie won't help matters, either. However, The Wicker Man does just enough right to be fairly enjoyable. You can do far, far better. But, if you have nothing else to do, this film will take up a good couple hours of your time.



Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 6.5



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: The Wicker Man (1973), The Village, Ghost Rider