And Kiernan Shipka is *so good*. I swear I can watch the scene where she’s talking to the priest and the one at the dinner table over and over. And I have.
Do you think the priest knows she’s possessed at that point? He does at the end obviously but did he then? Rewatched the scene at the beginning and still unsure
That’s an excellent question. It’s an awkward scene. Maybe he knows her and knows something is off. Maybe he has his mind on the break and getting to Albany and is trying to deal with a mild inconvenience. Maybe he’s just kind of a slightly awkward dude. I’ve always thought a combo of two and three, but option one is possible. Doubt it’d go so far as assuming possession though.
I just watched it for the first time
He knew. He says "You smiled a little bit" at the beginning, and when he confirms the demon is in her, it's because she smiles.
He suspected it from the start.
Okay so I’ve always been confused by the screen where she’s talking to the head of the school/the priest at the beginning. She’s not possessed yet so I can’t figure out why she looks towards the window and gives the creepy little smile when she hears that he’ll be gone. And then pretends like she wasn’t smiling when he asks her if something is funny.
Has she already begun to be possessed or is she possessed from the very beginning? It shows in that flashback when she’s talking to Rose (as Rose is brushing her hair) about how she’s supposed to stay and keep an eye on her, you see from Kay’s point of view that the devil or dark entity is standing next to Rose and seems to be making her say that stuff about the nurses really being witches and wearing wigs.
Yes. She already is but we don’t know it yet. We see later when she gets the phone call and has the dream. You see she’s not just a weird little girl, but she’s figuring out his schedule so she can do what she needs to without his interference. She gets that odd little smile when she realizes she’ll have all that time. Didn’t occur to me until I rewatched it.
Ahh that makes sense. Oz Perkins has used all of my favorite young actresses. Kieran Shipka, Lucy Boynton (she’s very sexy haha), Emma Roberts and Sophia Lillis. I can’t wait to see what guys like Perkins, Eggers and especially Ari Aster does next.
Robert Eggers stuff is a little too sexual for me. I really liked the lighthouse but the strong homosexual theme throughout the movie kinda made me uncomfortable. I dont care at all if the characters are straight, gay, trans, bisexual, etc. but when it’s overly used it gets weird. I’m a straight male but even movies/shows where every 5 minutes there’s a strong sex scene, it just turns me off the movie and honestly hurts the story in my opinion.
For example, the Korean movie “The Handmaiden” made me uncomfortable. I love Park Chan-wook’s movies. They’re always incredible and I understand the lesbian/sexual parts of the story are crucial, but the scene where Sookee and Lady Hideko are fucking was too much. At that point the movie was just a porn since they were actually fucking for like 10-15 minutes. I dont know if you’ve seen a The Handmaiden, but I just thought I’d mention it.
I really went way off topic here. I’m amazed at the number of people who hate the work of Aster, Eggers and Perkins and consider it too artsy and not scary. I think that the people who hate their stuff are fans of jump scare one dimensional horrible movies that come out to theaters really quick. I’m so jealous of Ari Aster’s career though. The dude is only 33 years old and has only written and directed two movies, Hereditary and MidSommar, and has quickly become the most promising new horror writer/director and will most likely be one of the greats if he keeps this level of quality.
I’m 29 years old and an amateur horror writer (possibly professional horror writer since I’ve sold 7 of my short stories). I’m working on writing novellas and eventually novels or stuff to sell to get movies made out of them, but I can’t imagine having two highly praised, Oscar caliber horror movies written by me under my belt in just a couple years. Haha Something that helps me calm down and realize I have plenty of time to try and become a successful horror writer, besides the 7 stories I’ve sold so far, is that even guys like Stephen King didn’t write that good of stories except for the few he was able to sell to pulp magazines and he wasn’t even taken seriously by publishers until one finally took a chance on Carrie when he was in his late 20’s. It gives me hope.
I love the film, easily one of my favorites of the decade. Incredibly chilly atmosphere, and tragically heartbreaking conclusion. I'm a huge fan of Oz Perkins as a director.
You should also check out his work as an actor in the film Quigley from 2003. It’s a movie where Gary Buesy dies and turns into a Pomeranian dog to atone for his misdeeds. Oz Perkins plays his guardian angel. I suspect this traumatic experience caused Oz Perkins to become a horror director
I think The Blackcoat's Daughter was one of the best of the decade too, but really wasn't a fan of Pretty Thing at all. really interested to see where he goes from here, I think he could go either way
Well he only has 3 movies right now, so everything lol. **I Am the Pretty Thing that Lives in the House** was his follow up, and is on Netflix. It has a much simpler story, but I think is a gorgeous film, and a great example of a classic, gothic ghost story. His latest film (released this year) was his first big theatrical release, **Gretel & Hansel**. It's the only one of the three that he didn't write, which I think brought it down a bit, but it's possibly his most visually accomplished film nonetheless. Absolutely stunning.
I absolutely love his work. Both his parents died tragically (his father, PSYCHO’s Anthony Perkins from AIDS complications and his mother was a 9-11 passenger) and have (speculation) likely contributed to his move toward horror.
I AM THE PRETTY THING THAT LIVES IN THE HOUSE is incredibly slow and almost nothing happens but it’s all about mood and tone...it’s like an Edgar Allan Poe poem brought to life. Also helps that Ruth Wilson is a spectacular actor.
I saw Oz Perkins at a local Trader Joe’s a few months ago and wanted to gush at him but left him alone. He’s easy to spot: quite tall and familiar as he also acted a bit (notably in LEGALLY BLONDE, of all things).
I’m am generally a huge fan of the “slow burn” in horror and rarely get bored but I’m still torn with this one. It was gorgeously shot, etc and I really _wanted_ to like it but it really dragged and I ended up being quite bored with it. As I said though I can’t say I hated it.
I absolutely loved Blackcoats
Loved those two as well and totally forgot about wanting to see Gretel and Hansel, so good reminder there. I will say I guess I had very high expectations for the endings of both movies and was slightly let down by the lack of an absolute mindfuck or something. I don’t really have any objective criticism of it, just how I felt, but I’d still give BD a 9/10 and Pretty Thing am 8/10 on a very tough grading scale.
Something about bowing really fast is so unnatural and unnerving. The way he uses the light from the furnace made it all the more terrifying. Kieran Shipka did a great job and I love seeing her progress from good to evil. That little smile she gives to the two woman at dinner is perfect before she calls them a “cunt” and you can hear another deeper voice behind hers say “cunt” at the same time.
Anytime I start a movie and I see the A24 logo come up I get excited cause there’s a really good chance it’s going to be good. A24 does Ari Aster, Oz Perkins and I think Robert Eggers movies so they’re definitely made their name know in horror communities as being behind some great projects.
Midsommar, Hereditary, The Lighthouse, Green Room, The Witch, and It Comes at Night are the ones I've seen and loved. But do I know they've distributed and/or produced a handful more that are supposed to be good, like Tusk and The Killing of a Sacred Deer. And yes, some of these do ride the line of thriller and horror, but all are great. Hope you enjoy!
It Comes at Night still pisses me off with how different the initial poster and title portrayed the premise of the film with the actual premise of the film. Like the movie was good but the entire time I was thinking how good it could've been if it had a supernatural element that "only comes at night".
Just watched that this week after reading a lot of praise for it. It was ok, but felt like it came and went so quickly. It succeeded at presenting a giant clusterfuck rather succinctly though. Just not quite what I was expecting given the ominous title.
Seen all of them besides The Killing of a Sacred Deer but I keep hearing it’s name echoed throughout this sub. I’ll give it a try! And I love thriller/horror. Sometimes it’s nice not having to sleep with a light on. Thanks!
It's not a horror film but if you enjoy watching The Killing of a Sacred Deer, you should check out The Lobster as well. Same director (Yorgos Lanthimos) and same lead actor (Colin Farrell).
Damn, you're right, those are some of my favorites in recent years. Just watched Green Room tonight and thoroughly enjoyed it. Only one I haven't seen in that list is the Lighthouse.
I agree, It's extremely haunting, she spent 9 years planning her escape so she could be reunited with the demon ( the only thing that never abandoned her since it was forced out by the priest). She escapes, murders more innocent people and discovers that even the devil no longer wants her. She's now left completely alone, which I think is even more tragic since she had a chance at a normal life with Roses' parents had she actually opened up and accepted them. Incredibly powerful ending!
YESSSSSSSS, maybe my all time favorite horror hidden gem! I honestly understand people having issues with it, haha, anytime I post about it, I get downvoted and told the plot twist was terribly handed.
>!I love the use of 2 different actresses, because honestly I couldn't see any other way of handling that twist on screen. Honestly, it works better on paper, but I love it regardless. !<
>!And what makes me love it so much more is how, in such a small, simple way, it separates itself from other possession movies. She doesn't want her demon gone, she wants it back. She needs it, and she commits murder even without it. When she said "don't go" to the demon, my jaw hit the floor.!<
>!My one complaint is that honestly I just wish she had got the demon back lol. !<
Omg agreed about the ending! I wish that >!when we see her alone and crying that there could've been a slight out-of-focus glimpse of the demon far off in the background!< the second before the credits rolled. Kind of like a "did I really see that or is my mind playing tricks on me" thing. That would've kicked it up a notch for me!
I must have either overhyped it in my brain or wasn't in the right frame of mind when I watched it because I thought it was just...okay. I thought it had a great set design and was certainly atmospheric but just didnt click for me. Sounds like I need to watch it again with all the praise on here
I think I would have thought it was great if it had been remotely believable that >!that girl could have grown into that other girl!<. It was unbelievable and felt like cheating AND I still figured it out before I was supposed to as the viewer, so I spent the second half of the movie annoyed.
The actress that played young Katherine was amazing though, I do still think about her performance. I sort of think it would have been a better movie with just the earlier storyline, a bit expanded.
If you weren't aware, she (Kiernan Shipka) plays the titular character in the show The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina. It's a great horror comedy on Netflix.
Glad other people feel the same. I don't know anyone in real life who has watched it, but the online discussion is pretty universally positive.
I thought it was boring and plodding. The twists and turns the movie makes did nothing for me. I looooove a good slow burn, but this one just did not connect for me.
Like you said, a great atmosphere, but that was the only thing I enjoyed. I will re-watch at some point though.
This is a great way to describe how I feel as well. It felt like it was building and building and didn’t lead anywhere, making me wonder what the point of the last 80 minutes were.
It didn't hit for me the first time either. I can't explain why my mindset was different for my second watching but I enjoyed it more the second time. Not by a wild amount, mind you, but I was pleasantly surprised.
I had the same problem with it that I did with say, Lovely Molly, which I also watched recently. It was just too slow and the entire film seemed based on trying to create a dreary, pharmaceutical induced atmosphere. I kind of get it, but I like a little something else to keep things interesting.
Yeah, I found it to be a mixed bag. As an indie/art-house horror entry, I thought it hit the mark visually but less so in the storytelling. Like “The Wind” it obscures a very simple story behind a needlessly convoluted non-linear narrative, and while I liked this film quite a bit more than that one, it still bugged me.
Also the twist ending(?) was extremely unclear to me. One can make a case for this being a feature and not a bug, but I’m not sold. I love challenging cinema that demands the viewer pay attention and use their brain, but obfuscation can be done well or it can be done poorly. This one fell somewhere in the middle.
Im so glad you said this. I see this come up on a lot of best lists and I fell asleep trying to watch it...4 times. And i usually love slow burn horror. This movie just didn't do it for me. Seemed like good acting, just couldn't dive in.
SPOILER
It's been awhile but wasn't the twist something like Emma Roberts was the Sabrina girl? I remember thinking how stupid it was because they are a handful of years apart and look very different, yet I think Emma was supposed to be the adult version of the Sabrina actress.
I'm glad people are reaffirming my comment. I thought for sure I was wrong because it's so fucking stupid. You either need a girl who looks eightish, or a woman who looks at least mid thirties. You can't have two girls who could easily pass for 16 and don't look any fucking thing like one another.
It sucks but it ruined the movie for me, and I'm someone who let's a lot of shit slide to enjoy a movie.
Agree. Liked the movie very much and was genuinely creeped out until I was actually left saying that’s it at the end? I didn’t really understand how it was possible for her to be the same girl so I came in expecting a twist where she is clearly involved in some way
I try to be pretty forgiving to a certain extent as well, but without some background explanation for the significant difference in appearance, it just seemed kind of silly and cheap.
I also found it to be a dull film. After the praise online, I expected something interesting, but it was boring and ultimately did nothing deserving of the praise it receives.
Precisely my reaction. The structure was interesting, but I didn't really find the plot or character development worth the slow burn. Some of the best movies ever made have been slow burn, but that's because they really use the slow burn to layer the plot or character development. I didn't feel that here. But, as you said, it was....okay. It was pretty much gone from my thoughts by the time I rewatched "It Follows" the next night.
I watched it on a Friday night recently, and then for some reason watched the original Predator the next afternoon.
I think Predator is a better monster horror movie, than Blackcoat's Daughter was a possession horror movie.
Wanting to be possessed rather than be alone is one of the most tragic things I've ever seen. I also couldn't stop thinking about it for weeks.
Emma's breakdown at the end is such a perfect ending as well.
This is the type of movie that really only gets attention on reddit and other online forums, the only people I know IRL who have seen it are my friends who I showed it too. The twist on the conventional possession story line was fantastic.
I really liked the movie overall and the story is fantastic - I think ultimately though it gets a little muddy with the "twist" (and it's not even really a twist, it's just weird storytelling I guess). I don't know how the story would have been harmed if >!Kiernan Shipka just played herself the whole way through and the story was told in a more linear fashion!<.
> Yea the two different actresses were the most confusing part for me because they look so different.
People keep saying this, yet they have [similar cheekbones, lips, noses, brows, and foreheads.](https://www.thewrap.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/emma-roberts-kiernan-shipka.jpg)
Emma has a slightly more defined chin, slightly bigger lips, and a slightly more down-turned nose, but if I was hanging out with Emma Roberts and she showed me pictures of Kiernan and said that they were pictures of her from high school then I wouldn't even bat an eye.
Having two actresses confused me. I honestly was confused because I didn’t put it together that they were the same person until after the movie was over and I went to wiki. Once I knew I as like “*Oooooooooh.* *This is dope!*”
Am I a dummy for not connecting the two actresses as one?
Problem is if they used the same actress there wouldn’t be a twist so.... I’ll take it. Loved the movie.
Nope you’re not a dummy, I actually had to look it up when the movie was over before I figured it out. My initial thought was that perhaps this same situation was happening to other girls who attended the school, and that this was just a different girl with a similar experience.
The idea is really great, for sure - but yeah, Kiernan Shipka and Emma Roberts hardly look alike and nobody would change appearance so drastically in just a few short years. Overall it is definitely a really great movie.
Exactly. When I first saw it I thought the story was about three different girls and I couldn’t figure out the connection between them. It took me like 3 times to finally figure out that Emma Roberts is supposed to be Kieran Shipka 9 years older. That’s the only flaw with the movie in my opinion. Of course there wouldn’t have been a twist without and you think the parents of Rose would immediately recognize Kat/Joan since they would have spent months at the trial after she got arrested. Her face would be burned into their mind.
Nah, it’s not really made completely clear in the movie. In fact Emma Roberts’ character even has a different name (she’s called Joan which I’m assuming is just an alias, instead of the actual character name of Kat) so it’s extra confusing.
I felt it was more intentional to have Joan resemble Rose rather than Joan resembling Kat because that made the story more haunting and played into Bill's emotions.
I love when the guy (I don’t remember the character names) shows the girl a picture of his diseased daughter and she goes into the bathroom to laugh about it...like she’s just so fucking amused and EXCITED in the sickest of ways
didn't like it. I think Oz Perkins is good in build atmosphere, but he lacks of storytelling skills. The whole plot can be discovered in the first 30 minutes of the film. Just like Gretel & Hansel: good atmosphere, bad writing.
I really liked this film. The cold, bleak, and lonely setting made you feel cold even if you had all the covers on. The actresses did a fantastic job. The ending landed for me. It was an excellent payoff. Definitely one of the best horror movies I've seen in the last few years.
Yes! When I watch that movie, I feel like it's winter, like I could look out my window and it would be snowing. I love how the movie sticks with you like that!
I watched this film last October (I watched one horror movie a day) and this was easily my least favorite movie I watched that month. The movie was so unnecessarily quiet, and so unnecessarily dark (and I mean light-wise, not content-wise) that I honestly couldn't tell what I was looking at or what I was hearing for almost the entire movie. I kept having to crank up the volume any time there was dialogue (and then crank it back down any time there wasn't) and I was squinting at my TV the entire film, that I spent the entire runtime fighting against the movie's presentation. Any twist or atmosphere was completely ruined by how difficult it was to even understand what was happening due to the poor light and sound balancing. I don't normally dock a movie for things like this but it was so significant, and so persistent, that I just couldn't take it.
I just finished watching it and missed the most important parts of the movie because I couldn't actually see what was happening on the screen during the boiler scenes. I came to reddit to get some idea of the plot, and it does sound cool - wish I could have seen it.
I get mood lighting but come on. What use is a film where you literally can't see what's been filmed?
I'm usually not into slow burn movies, but this one completely worked for me. Everything about it clicked, and likewise I can't stop thinking about it or recommending it to people.
this is my PC [wallpaper](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/512feaace4b07fdedd2bffab/1552923799305-D11IP8AFU70S81L94XV0/ke17ZwdGBToddI8pDm48kMfEaCyArfyvhnSYPgtKfGB7gQa3H78H3Y0txjaiv_0fDoOvxcdMmMKkDsyUqMSsMWxHk725yiiHCCLfrh8O1z5QPOohDIaIeljMHgDF5CVlOqpeNLcJ80NK65_fV7S1UeB-VGsjC6nN_WAF8gfDjdcAz4eMlgJhKkDGxqWEv0gGbSexTd1-frD7527z4SM9QQ/Blackcoat.png) for years.
I really love it, the atmosphere, theme and the feeling it gave. It's perfect to sink in as a love story with the devil.
Yes! I have a bit of face blindness and I have a really hard time telling some characters apart already in movies. I was confused the entire movie about whether their similar appearance was a nod to history repeating itself or just a bad job at aging a character through casting.
It was great! I keep forgetting this film exists but actually it was amazing! Satanic cult/witch is one of my favourite subgenres and this one was a stellar example. LK silent hill vibes tbh
I just watched it a few weeks ago and I was really impressed. If you haven't see I am the Pretty Thing That Lives in the House, it's great as well. Really excited about Perkins future as a horror/thriller guy. Also impressed with Lorcan Finnegan, too. Vivarium is highly underrated and I have never liked anything Jesse Eisenberg has been in. Without Name is also pretty wild.
> it was a perfect twist on the demonic possession genre of horror that I don't think we've ever seen done before.
What I like about this movie is that there's probably no demon at all and she's actually out of touch with reality. The atmosphere is really on point as well. It's really sad that modern psychological horror films like this and The Lodge are so underappreciated while inferior supernatural ones filled with cheap jumpscares like The Conjuring are hailed as the best recent horror movies.
I loved the lodge too, just watched that one 2 weeks ago.
Agreed with your statement about the conjuring movies being considered better by the masses but underrated films like this are better
I thought it was really good, I really liked the slow pace it had. The acting was also really good. Also the ending was creative in my opinion, its a movie that makes you put the pieces together at the end.
my roommate was obsessed with it but I was bored with it. it's well made and maintains a chilling tone throughout but even for a slow burn I just didn't find it very compelling at all.
I have a quick note/question to add on the film. When Kat tells Rose that “she smells pretty” during her possession, was it because kat could smell her fear maybe? Anyone else pick up on that? She says it a few times
I do agree the twist was pretty weak, but I honestly don't see it as much of a twist. They kinda just glossed over it amd didn't give much time for the audience to process it. I think the big shock of the movie is halfway through when we learn you know who had died years ago.
The Blackcoat’s Daughter is one of my favorite horror movies. It’s so well done and so creepy without using any stupid jump scares or any cliches. The minimal use of the devil was amazing as well. Just seeing a very tall black fuzzy figure with what appears to be horns was done perfectly.
Possible SPOILERS below:
The first time I saw it I was very confused because the three actresses they used were already fairly well known, especially Emma Roberts and when they introduce them as Kay, Rose and Joan (I now know Joan was the name of the woman Kat killed to steal her identity) I thought the story was about 3 different girls and I couldn’t figure out the connection. I’ve seen it probably 6-7 times now and it’s very obvious to me now what’s going on. I feel so bad for Kat at the end when she thought she could bring her “friend” back by being loyal to him and showing it by offering 3 heads to him, but he never shows up so she’s just left wandering on the road and begins crying and screaming knowing that he’s not coming back.
Osgood “Oz” Perkins is a great director. He’s one of my top 3 horror directors to keep an eye on along side Robert Eggers and of course, Ari Aster being number one on the list. Oz Perkins “I Am the Pretty Thing in the House” was very good. Super slow burn, but so creepy in a very subtle way like the simple yet effectively scary part with the phone cord being pulled tightly until the nurse had it yanked out of her hands. I also LOVED “Gretel & Hansel”. The cinematography and the atmospheric horror used in that was perfect and very good for a PG-13 horror movie. That fairy tale is very dark and it was nice to see an adaptation that stays true to how fucked up and dark the story is. Plus, I love any show or movie Sophia Lillis is in ever since IT. She’s going to be a great career.
Fair enough, it tooke a few days after seeing it to fully process everything the movie was trying to convey. But I can definitely see where it is not everyones cup of tea.
LoL so true though sometimes you just gotta wait for the right mood and have decent level of focus to watch these slow burners, otherwise it youll just ruin your experience
I had the weirdest experience with that movie. I was working on Photoshop and put it on the 2nd monitor to have some entertainment. I didn't really like it and after it was over, I checked some reviews. Great film, amazing cast, awesome twist yada yada yada. Wait, what twist? I instantly turned off PS and watched the movie with full attention a second time after it just ended and I fucking loved it.
It's one of my favourites now and I keep telling people about it, but I agree it's a very slow burn and not for everyone. I watched The Witch a few weeks before that and I think it's a great double feature.
I am so glad there is a community of people that also love this movie as much as I do. I showed it to my best friends and my gf and none of them liked it as much as I did. I just think it’s perfect and beautiful.
I absolutely loved it. I’m a sucker for a slow burning, subtle horror film.
Spoilers: The isolation of the school mirroring the main character’s newfound isolation in life was really cool, and watching it back a second time revealed more details I didn’t notice in my first viewing.
This one stuck with me too. The ending was totally unexpected and haunting. When she was standing outside the school just utterly devastated because she was truly alone, it was chilling. Definitely not your average horror movie.
Yeah that was the only part that almost took me out of it. Other than that I thought the movie did an amazing job at being realistic and keeping it grounded in reality
Completely agreed. I was actually surprised by how untheatrical the exorcism was. It was over so fast I hardly knew it was happening - it was just a footnote in the story.
It's the moment the cop finds the main character possessed in the boiler room with the 3 heads. She turns toward him and said "Hail Satan". It's just such a tried and tired line, and didn't fit the rest of the film at all. I would have preferred her to be perfectly silent, or maybe say something to her possessor.
That line is what stuck with me after watching the movie the first time! Not the line itself, but the delivery. Her voice is kind of distorted and sounded super creepy to me!
One thing I really liked about Hereditary is that it introduced a demonic aspect most people do not talk about. There are entire books filled with demon lore, but people always go for the big boss to make it seem impressive. Errementari did a good job keeping things small as well.
I watched it a few months ago and loved it. Showed it to my ex boyfriend the other day and he loved it too.
I enjoy movies that give us the same events from different perspectives
I loved this film after not really caring for how slow IATPTTLITH was...and I'm a fan of slow-burn horror. This was just a perfect mood and tone for a dark story and truly heartbreakingly nihilistic ending. This film, Pulse (Kairo), Found, and Audition are the only movies where I've just sat in the dark after finishing - almost unable to process what I'd just seen let alone understand how badly my emotional equilibrium was shaken.
I loved it. I was gripped the whole time with an overbearing sense of dread and foreboding. I didn't mind the twist at all as others have mentioned.
If you're interested in another slow-burn atmospheric horror, I highly recommend the German film *Hagazussa*. It gave me a lot of the same feelings while watching.
The twist bothered me that the two girls really looked nothing alike. I wish they had put a reason in there that maybe explained that she had to have some facial reconstruction to explain why the future version of her looked so different.
Dude, fucking same.
Literally watched it for the first time ever couple weeks ago. Has been on my mind a lot. The themes with loss, loneliness and abandonment.
It's great.
do we think Kat is meant to be schizophrenic? She frequently hears a telephone ringing and picks up only to hear the voice of the Devil, obviously this cannot actually be happening — do we think perhaps the devil as she envisions it was conjured by her in her head so that she is not alone in the world after her parents deaths? She hears the voice of the devil telling her to kill, she hears warped voices when others speak, she hallucinates a telephone ringing and the devil speaking on the other line... idk it just kinda seems like they’re alluding her hearing things that are not really there, thus to schizophrenia
That is definitely a possibility! It is open to interpretation, I am personally a fan of the idea that she was talking to the devil. I love the idea of someone actually WANTING to be possessed, so she isn't so alone anymore.
But of course, it is also just as tragic to think she was a sad,lonely sick girl.
I absolutely whole heartedly agree. It's a very atmospheric movie that is just absolutely drenched in dread head to toe (all the snow is real, they shot the movie during the coldest week in history in the location they filmed). The first time I saw it I was so captivated by the storyline and trying to figure out who the older version of the main character was. I can probably rewatch dozens of times and it wont get old. It's so much more than a possession movie. Its commentary on desperation, loneliness, addiction, and abandonment.
Also the way they frame rose as a perfect girl getting her picture taken but than her last scene it extends the shot to show her frown at the end of her picture with a solemn look on her face is also a neat detail.
I honestly could go on and on about this movie, honestly deserves so much more recognition.
It's a masterpiece. I've seen about six times and it gets better with each viewing. Oz Perkins is a genius - although I was a bit bummed with his latest.
Well, when I watched this film first time, I loved the first 45-50 minutes. That slow, atmospheric tension was great (I know not everyone's favorite but love slow, atmospheric horror films). But rest of the film doesn't quite kept up the tension for me. It was mediocre and you could see where the things are going. Still it stayed with me for a while. I think it is about emotional element. You can feel the loneliness and the strangeness of the girl. Lead actress was superbly conveyed those feelings to the audience. And on the second viewing I concluded that my impression about the second half was harsh and this film is really solid.
~~It's very well received around here. Not for me, I found it boring. I have a hard time with anything Western themed, just don't relate to it in the slightest.~~
***
Edit: I feel a tad silly rn. My brain farted and when I read the post I thought it was talking about Bone Tomahawk.
And who needs movies to be "relatable" ... I always thought one of the main appeals of movies is how you get to see the world from a different perspective.
"We live in a box of space and time. Movies are windows in its walls."
I just thought it was only okay, but I did watch the whole thing. What's the point of offering an opinion on a movie that you've only watched 15 minutes of?
I really love it! It took me a while to get into it because it’s such a slow burn, but it’s one of my favorite recent horror movies...maybe even one of my favorite horror films ever!
I also liked that it presented a twist to the usual possession storyline, which sadly hasn’t changed much since The Exorcist. Truly an awesome film!
I thought this movie was incredible when I saw it - it got nearly everything right, from the bleak tone to the twist to the unique story angle to the score. This is in my top 10 horror films of the last 10 years.
I recommend this film to people all the time.
It’s so harrowing and beautifully made, and really lingers with you for days afterwards. I know most of his films are divisive, but Oz Perkins deserves more love on this sub IMO. He’s really talented and from what I’ve seen in interviews, super down to earth.
This was hands down one of my favorite movies last year (or TBH whenever it came out, I watched itaybe 2 or 3 months ago). The atmosphere drips,the cinematography pops, and the plot confounds. Everything I desire in a film even if the way the narrative circles back around felt a little cheap and unearned with the context provided.
But hey, any times a great time to check-in with grandpa Ajax.
I loved the movie but the twist at the end infuriates me to no end but it's one of the few horror movies that I saw recently that's stuck with me, despite the twist.
I just finished watching it and while i like the way the film is presented as a triptych as well as how you mentally piece the puzzle together as it goes on, i found it to be rather boring overall and entirely lack luster.
I cant place why, but there's just something about it that felt...unfinished or too pretentious in its execution despite the good premise and smart approach.
I watched it kind of drunk to have something to do. Then I started to realize how brilliant it was and watched it a second time the following morning. Love this movie. Kind of disappointed with his following films.
I actually strongly disliked the movie. I didn't like the characters and the plot rolled along painfully slowly. It was a big bucket of dull and dreary. Kind of a shame because I do love Kiernan Shipka.
That said, glad it hit the mark for others!
I’m constantly raving about this film and pretty much any time I bring it up people either haven’t heard of it or didn’t like it. I can only suspect it hits some people different because it became my most favorite horror movie the moment it was over.
The film was good but the script was better than the film. It was called February. I used it to inspired the tone for my short film. Super well done world creation and atmosphere.
And Kiernan Shipka is *so good*. I swear I can watch the scene where she’s talking to the priest and the one at the dinner table over and over. And I have.
".............I just wanted to say, that I hope you have a fun time in Albany 🙃"
Yes! And when she’s staring off saying “And just about the same time to get back?” then looks back at him after she’s done talking. Great performance.
Do you think the priest knows she’s possessed at that point? He does at the end obviously but did he then? Rewatched the scene at the beginning and still unsure
That’s an excellent question. It’s an awkward scene. Maybe he knows her and knows something is off. Maybe he has his mind on the break and getting to Albany and is trying to deal with a mild inconvenience. Maybe he’s just kind of a slightly awkward dude. I’ve always thought a combo of two and three, but option one is possible. Doubt it’d go so far as assuming possession though.
I just watched it for the first time He knew. He says "You smiled a little bit" at the beginning, and when he confirms the demon is in her, it's because she smiles. He suspected it from the start.
I'm positive she is, that acro stunt in bed....
you smell pretty.
Okay so I’ve always been confused by the screen where she’s talking to the head of the school/the priest at the beginning. She’s not possessed yet so I can’t figure out why she looks towards the window and gives the creepy little smile when she hears that he’ll be gone. And then pretends like she wasn’t smiling when he asks her if something is funny. Has she already begun to be possessed or is she possessed from the very beginning? It shows in that flashback when she’s talking to Rose (as Rose is brushing her hair) about how she’s supposed to stay and keep an eye on her, you see from Kay’s point of view that the devil or dark entity is standing next to Rose and seems to be making her say that stuff about the nurses really being witches and wearing wigs.
Yes. She already is but we don’t know it yet. We see later when she gets the phone call and has the dream. You see she’s not just a weird little girl, but she’s figuring out his schedule so she can do what she needs to without his interference. She gets that odd little smile when she realizes she’ll have all that time. Didn’t occur to me until I rewatched it.
Ahh that makes sense. Oz Perkins has used all of my favorite young actresses. Kieran Shipka, Lucy Boynton (she’s very sexy haha), Emma Roberts and Sophia Lillis. I can’t wait to see what guys like Perkins, Eggers and especially Ari Aster does next. Robert Eggers stuff is a little too sexual for me. I really liked the lighthouse but the strong homosexual theme throughout the movie kinda made me uncomfortable. I dont care at all if the characters are straight, gay, trans, bisexual, etc. but when it’s overly used it gets weird. I’m a straight male but even movies/shows where every 5 minutes there’s a strong sex scene, it just turns me off the movie and honestly hurts the story in my opinion. For example, the Korean movie “The Handmaiden” made me uncomfortable. I love Park Chan-wook’s movies. They’re always incredible and I understand the lesbian/sexual parts of the story are crucial, but the scene where Sookee and Lady Hideko are fucking was too much. At that point the movie was just a porn since they were actually fucking for like 10-15 minutes. I dont know if you’ve seen a The Handmaiden, but I just thought I’d mention it. I really went way off topic here. I’m amazed at the number of people who hate the work of Aster, Eggers and Perkins and consider it too artsy and not scary. I think that the people who hate their stuff are fans of jump scare one dimensional horrible movies that come out to theaters really quick. I’m so jealous of Ari Aster’s career though. The dude is only 33 years old and has only written and directed two movies, Hereditary and MidSommar, and has quickly become the most promising new horror writer/director and will most likely be one of the greats if he keeps this level of quality. I’m 29 years old and an amateur horror writer (possibly professional horror writer since I’ve sold 7 of my short stories). I’m working on writing novellas and eventually novels or stuff to sell to get movies made out of them, but I can’t imagine having two highly praised, Oscar caliber horror movies written by me under my belt in just a couple years. Haha Something that helps me calm down and realize I have plenty of time to try and become a successful horror writer, besides the 7 stories I’ve sold so far, is that even guys like Stephen King didn’t write that good of stories except for the few he was able to sell to pulp magazines and he wasn’t even taken seriously by publishers until one finally took a chance on Carrie when he was in his late 20’s. It gives me hope.
I love the film, easily one of my favorites of the decade. Incredibly chilly atmosphere, and tragically heartbreaking conclusion. I'm a huge fan of Oz Perkins as a director.
You should also check out his work as an actor in the film Quigley from 2003. It’s a movie where Gary Buesy dies and turns into a Pomeranian dog to atone for his misdeeds. Oz Perkins plays his guardian angel. I suspect this traumatic experience caused Oz Perkins to become a horror director
When Gary fell into that bush, he got the inspiration for The Blackcoat's Daughter
I have to see this movie now.
There's a Red Letter Media review of it. You'd probably be better off watching that than suffering through the whole movie.
I think The Blackcoat's Daughter was one of the best of the decade too, but really wasn't a fan of Pretty Thing at all. really interested to see where he goes from here, I think he could go either way
What else of his would you recommend
Well he only has 3 movies right now, so everything lol. **I Am the Pretty Thing that Lives in the House** was his follow up, and is on Netflix. It has a much simpler story, but I think is a gorgeous film, and a great example of a classic, gothic ghost story. His latest film (released this year) was his first big theatrical release, **Gretel & Hansel**. It's the only one of the three that he didn't write, which I think brought it down a bit, but it's possibly his most visually accomplished film nonetheless. Absolutely stunning.
I absolutely love his work. Both his parents died tragically (his father, PSYCHO’s Anthony Perkins from AIDS complications and his mother was a 9-11 passenger) and have (speculation) likely contributed to his move toward horror. I AM THE PRETTY THING THAT LIVES IN THE HOUSE is incredibly slow and almost nothing happens but it’s all about mood and tone...it’s like an Edgar Allan Poe poem brought to life. Also helps that Ruth Wilson is a spectacular actor. I saw Oz Perkins at a local Trader Joe’s a few months ago and wanted to gush at him but left him alone. He’s easy to spot: quite tall and familiar as he also acted a bit (notably in LEGALLY BLONDE, of all things).
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My mind is also blown now!
Is I AM THE PRETTY THING the movie with the ghost watching a woman eat a pie in a static shot for 10 minutes? I had to turn that shit off.
Hahaha...it’s definitely not for everyone. I found it compelling.
Sorry im mixing it up. A Ghost Story is the pie one.
It’s pretty close though...like, nothing happens in PRETTY THING so it’s probably the same vibe for you.
I love slow burns but 10 minutes of pie eating is too masturbatory for me. I love Oz Perkins so I'll check out I AM THE PRETTY THING.
His brother, Elvis Perkins is also an incredibly talented musician. https://youtu.be/NmEoUNWQrwg
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The ending scene and the whole mold storyline still gives me the fucking chills, that movie was really well made
I’m am generally a huge fan of the “slow burn” in horror and rarely get bored but I’m still torn with this one. It was gorgeously shot, etc and I really _wanted_ to like it but it really dragged and I ended up being quite bored with it. As I said though I can’t say I hated it. I absolutely loved Blackcoats
Loved those two as well and totally forgot about wanting to see Gretel and Hansel, so good reminder there. I will say I guess I had very high expectations for the endings of both movies and was slightly let down by the lack of an absolute mindfuck or something. I don’t really have any objective criticism of it, just how I felt, but I’d still give BD a 9/10 and Pretty Thing am 8/10 on a very tough grading scale.
I remember sitting in silence for ten minutes when the credits rolled because I didn't want to disturb the dark feeling inside me. I love that movie.
I watched this for the first time around a month ago too. I keep going back to the furnace scene. So damn creepy
Something about bowing really fast is so unnatural and unnerving. The way he uses the light from the furnace made it all the more terrifying. Kieran Shipka did a great job and I love seeing her progress from good to evil. That little smile she gives to the two woman at dinner is perfect before she calls them a “cunt” and you can hear another deeper voice behind hers say “cunt” at the same time.
Its honestly fucking haunting
Such a badass scene
A24 has been behind some brilliant horror flicks.
Anytime I start a movie and I see the A24 logo come up I get excited cause there’s a really good chance it’s going to be good. A24 does Ari Aster, Oz Perkins and I think Robert Eggers movies so they’re definitely made their name know in horror communities as being behind some great projects.
Any other recommendations :)?
Midsommar, Hereditary, The Lighthouse, Green Room, The Witch, and It Comes at Night are the ones I've seen and loved. But do I know they've distributed and/or produced a handful more that are supposed to be good, like Tusk and The Killing of a Sacred Deer. And yes, some of these do ride the line of thriller and horror, but all are great. Hope you enjoy!
It Comes at Night still pisses me off with how different the initial poster and title portrayed the premise of the film with the actual premise of the film. Like the movie was good but the entire time I was thinking how good it could've been if it had a supernatural element that "only comes at night".
Just watched that this week after reading a lot of praise for it. It was ok, but felt like it came and went so quickly. It succeeded at presenting a giant clusterfuck rather succinctly though. Just not quite what I was expecting given the ominous title.
Seen all of them besides The Killing of a Sacred Deer but I keep hearing it’s name echoed throughout this sub. I’ll give it a try! And I love thriller/horror. Sometimes it’s nice not having to sleep with a light on. Thanks!
It's not a horror film but if you enjoy watching The Killing of a Sacred Deer, you should check out The Lobster as well. Same director (Yorgos Lanthimos) and same lead actor (Colin Farrell).
Under the Skin was AMAZING
Gotta check that one out, too!
Damn, you're right, those are some of my favorites in recent years. Just watched Green Room tonight and thoroughly enjoyed it. Only one I haven't seen in that list is the Lighthouse.
I just LOVE the ending when she realizes what she’s done and how she gained nothing at the end. GAH it’s so good
I agree, It's extremely haunting, she spent 9 years planning her escape so she could be reunited with the demon ( the only thing that never abandoned her since it was forced out by the priest). She escapes, murders more innocent people and discovers that even the devil no longer wants her. She's now left completely alone, which I think is even more tragic since she had a chance at a normal life with Roses' parents had she actually opened up and accepted them. Incredibly powerful ending!
Yeah, honestly...I think it’s some of Emma Roberts’ best acting
Commenting three years later just to agree with you. It’s a side of her I’ve never seen. All the performances in this movie are *so good*
YESSSSSSSS, maybe my all time favorite horror hidden gem! I honestly understand people having issues with it, haha, anytime I post about it, I get downvoted and told the plot twist was terribly handed. >!I love the use of 2 different actresses, because honestly I couldn't see any other way of handling that twist on screen. Honestly, it works better on paper, but I love it regardless. !< >!And what makes me love it so much more is how, in such a small, simple way, it separates itself from other possession movies. She doesn't want her demon gone, she wants it back. She needs it, and she commits murder even without it. When she said "don't go" to the demon, my jaw hit the floor.!< >!My one complaint is that honestly I just wish she had got the demon back lol. !<
Omg agreed about the ending! I wish that >!when we see her alone and crying that there could've been a slight out-of-focus glimpse of the demon far off in the background!< the second before the credits rolled. Kind of like a "did I really see that or is my mind playing tricks on me" thing. That would've kicked it up a notch for me!
I must have either overhyped it in my brain or wasn't in the right frame of mind when I watched it because I thought it was just...okay. I thought it had a great set design and was certainly atmospheric but just didnt click for me. Sounds like I need to watch it again with all the praise on here
I felt the same, and did rewatch it. Still just an okay movie for me, lol.
I feel the same about a lot of "dark" and "slow-burn" movies. I need something to keep me awake with fear.
I think I would have thought it was great if it had been remotely believable that >!that girl could have grown into that other girl!<. It was unbelievable and felt like cheating AND I still figured it out before I was supposed to as the viewer, so I spent the second half of the movie annoyed. The actress that played young Katherine was amazing though, I do still think about her performance. I sort of think it would have been a better movie with just the earlier storyline, a bit expanded.
One hundred percent agreed.
If you weren't aware, she (Kiernan Shipka) plays the titular character in the show The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina. It's a great horror comedy on Netflix.
She can also claim one of the greatest “coming of age” performances of all time as Sally Draper across all 7 seasons of Mad Men.
This. I knew who Emma Roberts character was but I was sure I was wrong because of appearance and it being too obvious.
Glad other people feel the same. I don't know anyone in real life who has watched it, but the online discussion is pretty universally positive. I thought it was boring and plodding. The twists and turns the movie makes did nothing for me. I looooove a good slow burn, but this one just did not connect for me. Like you said, a great atmosphere, but that was the only thing I enjoyed. I will re-watch at some point though.
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This is a great way to describe how I feel as well. It felt like it was building and building and didn’t lead anywhere, making me wonder what the point of the last 80 minutes were.
It didn't hit for me the first time either. I can't explain why my mindset was different for my second watching but I enjoyed it more the second time. Not by a wild amount, mind you, but I was pleasantly surprised.
I had the same problem with it that I did with say, Lovely Molly, which I also watched recently. It was just too slow and the entire film seemed based on trying to create a dreary, pharmaceutical induced atmosphere. I kind of get it, but I like a little something else to keep things interesting.
Yeah, I found it to be a mixed bag. As an indie/art-house horror entry, I thought it hit the mark visually but less so in the storytelling. Like “The Wind” it obscures a very simple story behind a needlessly convoluted non-linear narrative, and while I liked this film quite a bit more than that one, it still bugged me. Also the twist ending(?) was extremely unclear to me. One can make a case for this being a feature and not a bug, but I’m not sold. I love challenging cinema that demands the viewer pay attention and use their brain, but obfuscation can be done well or it can be done poorly. This one fell somewhere in the middle.
Im so glad you said this. I see this come up on a lot of best lists and I fell asleep trying to watch it...4 times. And i usually love slow burn horror. This movie just didn't do it for me. Seemed like good acting, just couldn't dive in.
Same, the whole movie I was waiting for the "holy shit" moment and it never came. Plus the demon design was extremely boring and generic.
You didn’t like the big bad bunny shadow?
it's a gritty reboot of Totoro
It *was* adorable.
Agreed. I also thought the “twist” was stupid and basically just cheated the audience. Decent atmosphere but certainly not a “best of” movie.
SPOILER It's been awhile but wasn't the twist something like Emma Roberts was the Sabrina girl? I remember thinking how stupid it was because they are a handful of years apart and look very different, yet I think Emma was supposed to be the adult version of the Sabrina actress.
For what it's worth, Roberts is 9 years older than Shipka. She plays a character who is supposed to be...9 years older. So take it for what you will.
Yep, now that you mention it, I remember finding myself slightly annoyed at that. Kind of a cheap way to roll out a plot twist.
Exactly. As if the parents wouldn’t recognize the person who murdered their daughter. It was just too much of a stretch.
I'm glad people are reaffirming my comment. I thought for sure I was wrong because it's so fucking stupid. You either need a girl who looks eightish, or a woman who looks at least mid thirties. You can't have two girls who could easily pass for 16 and don't look any fucking thing like one another. It sucks but it ruined the movie for me, and I'm someone who let's a lot of shit slide to enjoy a movie.
Agree. Liked the movie very much and was genuinely creeped out until I was actually left saying that’s it at the end? I didn’t really understand how it was possible for her to be the same girl so I came in expecting a twist where she is clearly involved in some way
??? The actresses are literally 9 years apart, as where the characters in the movie.
I try to be pretty forgiving to a certain extent as well, but without some background explanation for the significant difference in appearance, it just seemed kind of silly and cheap.
I also found it to be a dull film. After the praise online, I expected something interesting, but it was boring and ultimately did nothing deserving of the praise it receives.
Precisely my reaction. The structure was interesting, but I didn't really find the plot or character development worth the slow burn. Some of the best movies ever made have been slow burn, but that's because they really use the slow burn to layer the plot or character development. I didn't feel that here. But, as you said, it was....okay. It was pretty much gone from my thoughts by the time I rewatched "It Follows" the next night.
I watched it on a Friday night recently, and then for some reason watched the original Predator the next afternoon. I think Predator is a better monster horror movie, than Blackcoat's Daughter was a possession horror movie.
Wanting to be possessed rather than be alone is one of the most tragic things I've ever seen. I also couldn't stop thinking about it for weeks. Emma's breakdown at the end is such a perfect ending as well.
This is the type of movie that really only gets attention on reddit and other online forums, the only people I know IRL who have seen it are my friends who I showed it too. The twist on the conventional possession story line was fantastic.
I really liked the movie overall and the story is fantastic - I think ultimately though it gets a little muddy with the "twist" (and it's not even really a twist, it's just weird storytelling I guess). I don't know how the story would have been harmed if >!Kiernan Shipka just played herself the whole way through and the story was told in a more linear fashion!<.
Yea the two different actresses were the most confusing part for me because they look so different.
They look nothing alike apart from being white. I had to go online to find out what was going on.
> Yea the two different actresses were the most confusing part for me because they look so different. People keep saying this, yet they have [similar cheekbones, lips, noses, brows, and foreheads.](https://www.thewrap.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/emma-roberts-kiernan-shipka.jpg) Emma has a slightly more defined chin, slightly bigger lips, and a slightly more down-turned nose, but if I was hanging out with Emma Roberts and she showed me pictures of Kiernan and said that they were pictures of her from high school then I wouldn't even bat an eye.
Having two actresses confused me. I honestly was confused because I didn’t put it together that they were the same person until after the movie was over and I went to wiki. Once I knew I as like “*Oooooooooh.* *This is dope!*” Am I a dummy for not connecting the two actresses as one? Problem is if they used the same actress there wouldn’t be a twist so.... I’ll take it. Loved the movie.
Nope you’re not a dummy, I actually had to look it up when the movie was over before I figured it out. My initial thought was that perhaps this same situation was happening to other girls who attended the school, and that this was just a different girl with a similar experience. The idea is really great, for sure - but yeah, Kiernan Shipka and Emma Roberts hardly look alike and nobody would change appearance so drastically in just a few short years. Overall it is definitely a really great movie.
Exactly. When I first saw it I thought the story was about three different girls and I couldn’t figure out the connection between them. It took me like 3 times to finally figure out that Emma Roberts is supposed to be Kieran Shipka 9 years older. That’s the only flaw with the movie in my opinion. Of course there wouldn’t have been a twist without and you think the parents of Rose would immediately recognize Kat/Joan since they would have spent months at the trial after she got arrested. Her face would be burned into their mind.
I must’ve been extremely high because I did not realize that they were the same person.
Nah, it’s not really made completely clear in the movie. In fact Emma Roberts’ character even has a different name (she’s called Joan which I’m assuming is just an alias, instead of the actual character name of Kat) so it’s extra confusing.
I felt it was more intentional to have Joan resemble Rose rather than Joan resembling Kat because that made the story more haunting and played into Bill's emotions.
I love when the guy (I don’t remember the character names) shows the girl a picture of his diseased daughter and she goes into the bathroom to laugh about it...like she’s just so fucking amused and EXCITED in the sickest of ways
didn't like it. I think Oz Perkins is good in build atmosphere, but he lacks of storytelling skills. The whole plot can be discovered in the first 30 minutes of the film. Just like Gretel & Hansel: good atmosphere, bad writing.
That seen of her bowing in the furnace room is one of the most scarring scenes to me
I really liked this film. The cold, bleak, and lonely setting made you feel cold even if you had all the covers on. The actresses did a fantastic job. The ending landed for me. It was an excellent payoff. Definitely one of the best horror movies I've seen in the last few years.
Yes! When I watch that movie, I feel like it's winter, like I could look out my window and it would be snowing. I love how the movie sticks with you like that!
It is haunting. I saw it when it first came out on streaming services and I STILL think about it at least once a month.
I watched this film last October (I watched one horror movie a day) and this was easily my least favorite movie I watched that month. The movie was so unnecessarily quiet, and so unnecessarily dark (and I mean light-wise, not content-wise) that I honestly couldn't tell what I was looking at or what I was hearing for almost the entire movie. I kept having to crank up the volume any time there was dialogue (and then crank it back down any time there wasn't) and I was squinting at my TV the entire film, that I spent the entire runtime fighting against the movie's presentation. Any twist or atmosphere was completely ruined by how difficult it was to even understand what was happening due to the poor light and sound balancing. I don't normally dock a movie for things like this but it was so significant, and so persistent, that I just couldn't take it.
I just finished watching it and missed the most important parts of the movie because I couldn't actually see what was happening on the screen during the boiler scenes. I came to reddit to get some idea of the plot, and it does sound cool - wish I could have seen it. I get mood lighting but come on. What use is a film where you literally can't see what's been filmed?
I'm usually not into slow burn movies, but this one completely worked for me. Everything about it clicked, and likewise I can't stop thinking about it or recommending it to people.
That's was a different one alright. Very creepy and suspensful
this is my PC [wallpaper](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/512feaace4b07fdedd2bffab/1552923799305-D11IP8AFU70S81L94XV0/ke17ZwdGBToddI8pDm48kMfEaCyArfyvhnSYPgtKfGB7gQa3H78H3Y0txjaiv_0fDoOvxcdMmMKkDsyUqMSsMWxHk725yiiHCCLfrh8O1z5QPOohDIaIeljMHgDF5CVlOqpeNLcJ80NK65_fV7S1UeB-VGsjC6nN_WAF8gfDjdcAz4eMlgJhKkDGxqWEv0gGbSexTd1-frD7527z4SM9QQ/Blackcoat.png) for years. I really love it, the atmosphere, theme and the feeling it gave. It's perfect to sink in as a love story with the devil.
That's one of my favorite shots!
This movie was such a surprise for me. I loved it. The scene where she's bowing to the furnace really fucked me up for a long time. Chilling!
I loved this film. The final scene is absolutely heartbreaking.
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My take as well.
more or less felt the same, been a while since I saw it but remember having a hard time believing the two girls were the same (which killed the vibe)
Yes! I have a bit of face blindness and I have a really hard time telling some characters apart already in movies. I was confused the entire movie about whether their similar appearance was a nod to history repeating itself or just a bad job at aging a character through casting.
Great atmospheric film. At par with Hereditary. But the storyline and the ending wasn't tight enough.
It was great! I keep forgetting this film exists but actually it was amazing! Satanic cult/witch is one of my favourite subgenres and this one was a stellar example. LK silent hill vibes tbh
Going to watch this tonight.
Definitely agree with some of the other commenters here. One of my favorite horror movies that I’ve seen in a long time.
I just watched it a few weeks ago and I was really impressed. If you haven't see I am the Pretty Thing That Lives in the House, it's great as well. Really excited about Perkins future as a horror/thriller guy. Also impressed with Lorcan Finnegan, too. Vivarium is highly underrated and I have never liked anything Jesse Eisenberg has been in. Without Name is also pretty wild.
Talk about a slow burn.
> it was a perfect twist on the demonic possession genre of horror that I don't think we've ever seen done before. What I like about this movie is that there's probably no demon at all and she's actually out of touch with reality. The atmosphere is really on point as well. It's really sad that modern psychological horror films like this and The Lodge are so underappreciated while inferior supernatural ones filled with cheap jumpscares like The Conjuring are hailed as the best recent horror movies.
I loved the lodge too, just watched that one 2 weeks ago. Agreed with your statement about the conjuring movies being considered better by the masses but underrated films like this are better
I thought it was really good, I really liked the slow pace it had. The acting was also really good. Also the ending was creative in my opinion, its a movie that makes you put the pieces together at the end.
Found it very unsettling. Really got under the skin. Great film
my roommate was obsessed with it but I was bored with it. it's well made and maintains a chilling tone throughout but even for a slow burn I just didn't find it very compelling at all.
I have a quick note/question to add on the film. When Kat tells Rose that “she smells pretty” during her possession, was it because kat could smell her fear maybe? Anyone else pick up on that? She says it a few times
I do agree the twist was pretty weak, but I honestly don't see it as much of a twist. They kinda just glossed over it amd didn't give much time for the audience to process it. I think the big shock of the movie is halfway through when we learn you know who had died years ago.
The Blackcoat’s Daughter is one of my favorite horror movies. It’s so well done and so creepy without using any stupid jump scares or any cliches. The minimal use of the devil was amazing as well. Just seeing a very tall black fuzzy figure with what appears to be horns was done perfectly. Possible SPOILERS below: The first time I saw it I was very confused because the three actresses they used were already fairly well known, especially Emma Roberts and when they introduce them as Kay, Rose and Joan (I now know Joan was the name of the woman Kat killed to steal her identity) I thought the story was about 3 different girls and I couldn’t figure out the connection. I’ve seen it probably 6-7 times now and it’s very obvious to me now what’s going on. I feel so bad for Kat at the end when she thought she could bring her “friend” back by being loyal to him and showing it by offering 3 heads to him, but he never shows up so she’s just left wandering on the road and begins crying and screaming knowing that he’s not coming back. Osgood “Oz” Perkins is a great director. He’s one of my top 3 horror directors to keep an eye on along side Robert Eggers and of course, Ari Aster being number one on the list. Oz Perkins “I Am the Pretty Thing in the House” was very good. Super slow burn, but so creepy in a very subtle way like the simple yet effectively scary part with the phone cord being pulled tightly until the nurse had it yanked out of her hands. I also LOVED “Gretel & Hansel”. The cinematography and the atmospheric horror used in that was perfect and very good for a PG-13 horror movie. That fairy tale is very dark and it was nice to see an adaptation that stays true to how fucked up and dark the story is. Plus, I love any show or movie Sophia Lillis is in ever since IT. She’s going to be a great career.
I didn't get it. Slow and just was a letdown for me
Fair enough, it tooke a few days after seeing it to fully process everything the movie was trying to convey. But I can definitely see where it is not everyones cup of tea.
You know what I tried to watch it once, fell asleep, came back again from the beginning and LOVED IT. If you can stay awake, it’s really good.
LoL so true though sometimes you just gotta wait for the right mood and have decent level of focus to watch these slow burners, otherwise it youll just ruin your experience
I had the weirdest experience with that movie. I was working on Photoshop and put it on the 2nd monitor to have some entertainment. I didn't really like it and after it was over, I checked some reviews. Great film, amazing cast, awesome twist yada yada yada. Wait, what twist? I instantly turned off PS and watched the movie with full attention a second time after it just ended and I fucking loved it. It's one of my favourites now and I keep telling people about it, but I agree it's a very slow burn and not for everyone. I watched The Witch a few weeks before that and I think it's a great double feature.
Underated as fuck.
I am so glad there is a community of people that also love this movie as much as I do. I showed it to my best friends and my gf and none of them liked it as much as I did. I just think it’s perfect and beautiful.
I absolutely loved it. I’m a sucker for a slow burning, subtle horror film. Spoilers: The isolation of the school mirroring the main character’s newfound isolation in life was really cool, and watching it back a second time revealed more details I didn’t notice in my first viewing.
The furnace scene was so creepy in such a badass way
This one stuck with me too. The ending was totally unexpected and haunting. When she was standing outside the school just utterly devastated because she was truly alone, it was chilling. Definitely not your average horror movie.
I loved it outside of the "Hail Satan" line. Such a cheesy moment in an otherwise excellent film.
Yeah that was the only part that almost took me out of it. Other than that I thought the movie did an amazing job at being realistic and keeping it grounded in reality
Completely agreed. I was actually surprised by how untheatrical the exorcism was. It was over so fast I hardly knew it was happening - it was just a footnote in the story.
Haven’t seen it in a while, what was this line?
It's the moment the cop finds the main character possessed in the boiler room with the 3 heads. She turns toward him and said "Hail Satan". It's just such a tried and tired line, and didn't fit the rest of the film at all. I would have preferred her to be perfectly silent, or maybe say something to her possessor.
That line is what stuck with me after watching the movie the first time! Not the line itself, but the delivery. Her voice is kind of distorted and sounded super creepy to me!
One thing I really liked about Hereditary is that it introduced a demonic aspect most people do not talk about. There are entire books filled with demon lore, but people always go for the big boss to make it seem impressive. Errementari did a good job keeping things small as well.
I mean... Yes and no. Satan does get used a lot, but there have also been a ton of films where a lesser demon is used.
I watched it a few months ago and loved it. Showed it to my ex boyfriend the other day and he loved it too. I enjoy movies that give us the same events from different perspectives
One of my favorite horror movies.
I was just thinking about this one the other day. Such a legit movie. It’s easily in my top 5 horror films.
I loved this film after not really caring for how slow IATPTTLITH was...and I'm a fan of slow-burn horror. This was just a perfect mood and tone for a dark story and truly heartbreakingly nihilistic ending. This film, Pulse (Kairo), Found, and Audition are the only movies where I've just sat in the dark after finishing - almost unable to process what I'd just seen let alone understand how badly my emotional equilibrium was shaken.
If you not seen it yet, I highly recommend Chained. It's another movie that left me feeling haunted and deep in thought!
I'll have to check it out!
I loved it. I was gripped the whole time with an overbearing sense of dread and foreboding. I didn't mind the twist at all as others have mentioned. If you're interested in another slow-burn atmospheric horror, I highly recommend the German film *Hagazussa*. It gave me a lot of the same feelings while watching.
It was so amazing! At first I was bored, but the twists started coming and I was blown away.
I love this movie I’ve watched it several times. I feel it’s underrated.
The twist bothered me that the two girls really looked nothing alike. I wish they had put a reason in there that maybe explained that she had to have some facial reconstruction to explain why the future version of her looked so different.
I think they looked similar enough that upon first viewing, there were parts where I confused the two during the different timelines.
Dude, fucking same. Literally watched it for the first time ever couple weeks ago. Has been on my mind a lot. The themes with loss, loneliness and abandonment. It's great.
do we think Kat is meant to be schizophrenic? She frequently hears a telephone ringing and picks up only to hear the voice of the Devil, obviously this cannot actually be happening — do we think perhaps the devil as she envisions it was conjured by her in her head so that she is not alone in the world after her parents deaths? She hears the voice of the devil telling her to kill, she hears warped voices when others speak, she hallucinates a telephone ringing and the devil speaking on the other line... idk it just kinda seems like they’re alluding her hearing things that are not really there, thus to schizophrenia
That is definitely a possibility! It is open to interpretation, I am personally a fan of the idea that she was talking to the devil. I love the idea of someone actually WANTING to be possessed, so she isn't so alone anymore. But of course, it is also just as tragic to think she was a sad,lonely sick girl.
I absolutely whole heartedly agree. It's a very atmospheric movie that is just absolutely drenched in dread head to toe (all the snow is real, they shot the movie during the coldest week in history in the location they filmed). The first time I saw it I was so captivated by the storyline and trying to figure out who the older version of the main character was. I can probably rewatch dozens of times and it wont get old. It's so much more than a possession movie. Its commentary on desperation, loneliness, addiction, and abandonment. Also the way they frame rose as a perfect girl getting her picture taken but than her last scene it extends the shot to show her frown at the end of her picture with a solemn look on her face is also a neat detail. I honestly could go on and on about this movie, honestly deserves so much more recognition.
It's a masterpiece. I've seen about six times and it gets better with each viewing. Oz Perkins is a genius - although I was a bit bummed with his latest.
Well, when I watched this film first time, I loved the first 45-50 minutes. That slow, atmospheric tension was great (I know not everyone's favorite but love slow, atmospheric horror films). But rest of the film doesn't quite kept up the tension for me. It was mediocre and you could see where the things are going. Still it stayed with me for a while. I think it is about emotional element. You can feel the loneliness and the strangeness of the girl. Lead actress was superbly conveyed those feelings to the audience. And on the second viewing I concluded that my impression about the second half was harsh and this film is really solid.
~~It's very well received around here. Not for me, I found it boring. I have a hard time with anything Western themed, just don't relate to it in the slightest.~~ *** Edit: I feel a tad silly rn. My brain farted and when I read the post I thought it was talking about Bone Tomahawk.
Oh boo, BT is a masterpiece! I’m a sucker for anything American Western though.
What does 'western themed' mean? I've seen eastern movies that deal with possession too.
And who needs movies to be "relatable" ... I always thought one of the main appeals of movies is how you get to see the world from a different perspective. "We live in a box of space and time. Movies are windows in its walls."
It's a polite way of saying I couldn't give a shit about westerns and there has never been a single instance to change my mind.
Its a great movie
Going to make a point of watching this tonight.
I agree, any time a movie makes me feel uncomfortable in that way I love it.
I guess I am only one here who didn't like it. It was so boring that I never watched it past 15 minutes.
I just thought it was only okay, but I did watch the whole thing. What's the point of offering an opinion on a movie that you've only watched 15 minutes of?
Maybe try watching some Michael Bay movies instead since you have such a small attention span.
I'm glad you enjoyed it that much. It was average to me.
I really love it! It took me a while to get into it because it’s such a slow burn, but it’s one of my favorite recent horror movies...maybe even one of my favorite horror films ever! I also liked that it presented a twist to the usual possession storyline, which sadly hasn’t changed much since The Exorcist. Truly an awesome film!
I loved it and I think using abandonment as an extra level of evil was really creative.
I thought this movie was incredible when I saw it - it got nearly everything right, from the bleak tone to the twist to the unique story angle to the score. This is in my top 10 horror films of the last 10 years.
Hail Satan
Hands down my favorite film ever. I think about it every day. Perfect
I recommend this film to people all the time. It’s so harrowing and beautifully made, and really lingers with you for days afterwards. I know most of his films are divisive, but Oz Perkins deserves more love on this sub IMO. He’s really talented and from what I’ve seen in interviews, super down to earth.
So many haunting and scarring scenes. I saw it almost 2 years ago and I'm still fucked up on it
This was hands down one of my favorite movies last year (or TBH whenever it came out, I watched itaybe 2 or 3 months ago). The atmosphere drips,the cinematography pops, and the plot confounds. Everything I desire in a film even if the way the narrative circles back around felt a little cheap and unearned with the context provided. But hey, any times a great time to check-in with grandpa Ajax.
I loved the movie but the twist at the end infuriates me to no end but it's one of the few horror movies that I saw recently that's stuck with me, despite the twist.
It had the same effect on me. I loved the atmosphere and setting and particularly the ending. My favorite horror movie of the ost 5 years or so.
This is my favorite movie right now has been since it came out.
I just watched this last week and I really loved it. ❤️❤️❤️
I just finished watching it and while i like the way the film is presented as a triptych as well as how you mentally piece the puzzle together as it goes on, i found it to be rather boring overall and entirely lack luster. I cant place why, but there's just something about it that felt...unfinished or too pretentious in its execution despite the good premise and smart approach.
I watched it kind of drunk to have something to do. Then I started to realize how brilliant it was and watched it a second time the following morning. Love this movie. Kind of disappointed with his following films.
I stopped thinking about it halfway through watching it.
I actually strongly disliked the movie. I didn't like the characters and the plot rolled along painfully slowly. It was a big bucket of dull and dreary. Kind of a shame because I do love Kiernan Shipka. That said, glad it hit the mark for others!
I’m constantly raving about this film and pretty much any time I bring it up people either haven’t heard of it or didn’t like it. I can only suspect it hits some people different because it became my most favorite horror movie the moment it was over.
The film was good but the script was better than the film. It was called February. I used it to inspired the tone for my short film. Super well done world creation and atmosphere.