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The Wicker Tree [Blu-ray]

Brittania Nicol (Actor), Henry Garrett (Actor), Robin Hardy (Director) Rated:

Format: Blu-ray

3.7 315 ratings

IMDb3.8/10.0

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April 24, 2012

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Genre	Horror
Format	Widescreen, Multiple Formats, Blu-ray, NTSC
Contributor	Henry Garrett, Christopher Lee, Robin Hardy, Brittania Nicol, Graham McTavish
Language	English
Runtime	1 hour and 36 minutes

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Product Description

Charmed by the residents of Tressock, Scotland, two young missionaries accept the invitation to participate in a local festival, fully unaware of the consequences of their decision.

Product details

Is Discontinued By Manufacturer ‏ : ‎ No
MPAA rating ‏ : ‎ R (Restricted)
Product Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 0.7 x 7.5 x 5.4 inches; 5.92 Ounces
Audio Description: ‏ : ‎ English
Item model number ‏ : ‎ 25109548
Director ‏ : ‎ Robin Hardy
Media Format ‏ : ‎ Widescreen, Multiple Formats, Blu-ray, NTSC
Run time ‏ : ‎ 1 hour and 36 minutes
Release date ‏ : ‎ April 24, 2012
Actors ‏ : ‎ Brittania Nicol, Henry Garrett, Christopher Lee, Graham McTavish
Dubbed: ‏ : ‎ Spanish
Subtitles: ‏ : ‎ Spanish, English
Studio ‏ : ‎ Lionsgate
ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0073U2F9Y
Country of Origin ‏ : ‎ USA
Number of discs ‏ : ‎ 1

Best Sellers Rank: #76,193 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
- #2,923 in Horror (Movies & TV)

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3.7 315 ratings

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NOYB

An Imperfect, But Still Worthy, Sacrifice

Reviewed in the United States on April 27, 2012

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A quick search online indicates that The Wicker Tree is in eminent danger of being buried in a sea of middling to bad notices, and that is a real shame, for while the film is certainly flawed, it is nevertheless a unique and valuable piece of storytelling.

First, we must do away with the looming shadow of its predecessor: The Wicker Man it is most decidedly not - but then, what is? If one judges The Wicker Tree on its paucity of similarities to its spiritual forbear, then one will naturally consider it a failure simply because it was never intended to faithfully recreate the original film in the first place. The Wicker Tree, rather, is a black comedy/commentary painted in bold strokes that deals not in the nature of sacrifice, but in the nature of the various roles we play throughout our lives, and whether we are guided by or can avoid not faith, but fate.

Young former country-pop singer Beth Boothby (Brittania Nicol) has rejected her debauched, secular and trashy (literally, check the lyrics) music and image to embrace evangelical Christianity and folksier, mostly religious tunes. Together with her cowboy fiancee Steve (Henry Garrett) and their matching purity rings, she's on her way to Scotland (a country that was all but entirely Christian before North America was even discovered) to witness to those kilted heathens who - horror of horrors! - don't even believe in angels.

(Side note: that most critics seem to have missed the fact that The Wicker Tree is a black comedy playing on and with broad stereotypes even after having the above setup literally spelled out for them in the first ten minutes of the film is beyond me.)

It is in Scotland that Beth meets Lord Lachlan Morrison and his wife, Lady Delia (Graham McTavish and the criminally underused Jacqueline Leonard), and the wheel of fate is set inexorably in motion. Beth and Steve demonstrate time and again that they are not only naive, but also not intellectually equipped to engage in matters of philosophy or any faith other than their own, and so both fail utterly to sense the danger surrounding them. Interestingly, despite their intellectual disparity, Lachlan has an inner struggle that almost parallels Beth's - against who they were, who they are, and what they desire to be. While Beth struggles to live down her ignoble past, Lachlan faces questions about the nature and sincerity of his faith in the present, and rightly so, for it seems that, as owner of the local nuclear plant, he is fully cognizant of the fact that it is most likely his own business that has caused local birth rates to drop precipitously, though publicly he insists that he and his followers need only find the right sacrifice to solve their reproductive ills.

Betrayals of self, faith and others like these abound in The Wicker Tree. Steve is easily lead astray by local seductress Lolly (a stunning Honeysuckle Weeks), convincing him that he has failed both as man and a Christian. Lolly in turn attempts not once but twice to betray her fellow cultists while Lachlan all but admits to his wife his faith has abandoned him. It is Beth, however, who finally demonstrates most savagely that fate, not faith, rules this universe, as she betrays her own evangelical ideals in a moment of anger and despair.

Philosophical undercurrents aside, another question on a lot of minds seems to be whether or not this is a standard "horror" film. The answer is...complicated. It is at least as much a horror film as The Wicker Man, though by today's standards, neither film is stictly "horror" at all. The Wicker Tree does have horror elements, but also comedy elements and musical elements - more important than what genre to slot it into is that it is not always successful at blending all those genres, and that is in part why I concede that it is flawed.

Foremost among these flaws? It is unfortunately true that casting two unknowns in the lead roles was a gamble that did not entirely pay off. Nicol and Garrett both give some truly stilted line readings, but these moments in no way overshadow the film as whole. One would have liked to have seen the aforementioned parallels between Beth and Lachlan better defined, but they and other subplots remain underutilized. Finally, the shoestring budget is unfortunately very much evident in some of the cinematography and editing, but save for one scene in which Steve seems to doing some kind one-man see-saw act, the issues are minor and not overly distracting.

To sum up: Imperfect, but with a unique story and philosophical core. Put The Wicker Man out of your mind and give The Wicker Tree a shot strictly on its own merits. You will almost certainly find something to like.

36 people found this helpful

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Teresa Cross

Horror

Reviewed in the United States on October 6, 2023

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The film is slow in pace until the last part then it's the shocking horror.

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TruthBeTold

Christopher Lee Is A 1 Min Cameo

Reviewed in the United States on November 2, 2022

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Not a Wickerman sequel really. Lower budget. My rule is if the trailer isn’t good, the movie probably isn’t either. The trailer tells nothing about the film and the story itself is an ok premise but just isn’t all that great. Lot’s of Xtian music and if you aren’t into that, even though it’s kind of essential to the plot, it’s a little too much. For those who enjoyed the original Wickerman, and are pagan oriented in their personal beliefs, this will probably mostly disappoint. It makes a mockery of the May Day celebration and once again those who hold the day as a sacred one of beauty and the beginning of summer are portrayed as murderers or devil worshippers. (At least the original Wickerman had great Celtic music). It’s difficult for those who hold this type of faith to find something worthwhile to watch. Add this one to the pile. And don’t get me wrong, lot’s of people of all backgrounds like a good horror movie, which this “sort of” is, but it just doesn’t get off the ground enough. It starts to try and get interesting and just drops off. I just wasn’t crazy about it. The movie “MidSommer” has a similar premise and is a much better horror movie choice, bigger budget, better story. I’d go with that one.

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satisfiedcustomer

Unfairly maligned sequel deserves as many chances as it takes...

Reviewed in the United States on January 15, 2019

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Clever, visually engaging, technically impeccable, more provocative than the original and even somewhat offensive (not for me), but subtle film. Really, the only thing wrong with it is that lightning doesn't strike twice in the same spot and, maybe, the take on the ever going debate both this and the original touch upon hits pretty close to home. However, for example, complaining that the Wicker Tree is only a metaphor and has no real significance in the plot development is no grounds to dismiss this as garbage (by the way, the Wicker Tree IS visually depicted in a crucial scene, as opposed to what some reviewers would have you believe). I suspect that the particular branch of Christians depicted here, probably the most powerful and influential in the US and elsewhere, didn't like the satirical "trailer trash" depiction of its most prominent members. The ending was unexpected and, of course, there's absolutely no way it would replicate the gut-wrenching impact of the first for the unaware viewer and, again, to say the least, is far from the most chivalrous, polite and happy you'll ever see. Like the Strangers: Prey at Night, just to give an example or another unjustly maligned film, still not up to par with this one, the soundtrack is great and it does not only blend in seamlessly, but adds to and enhances the viewing experience. The inclusion of the folk song Old Mountain Thyme, which the Byrds brought to the attention of American audiences, is nothing short of genius. The many small, intriguing details would be enough to revisit for the non- religious biased audience. Nothing in this movie should be taken for granted!

9 people found this helpful

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Amazon Customer

There was only one good actor in the movie - Graham McTavish

Reviewed in the United States on February 12, 2023

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He did an excellent job, the rest was meh... but I watched it all the way through. I'd love to see this made over with good actors. Each one of those stars were for Graham.

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Mr. Jonathon T. Beckett

New Sacrifices For Old Gods And Directors

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 9, 2012

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!!! WARNING. THIS REVIEW MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS. !!!

Two young born again Christians from the United States, travel to a remote part of Scotland to spread the word of the Lord. They are former wild child pop singer Beth Boothby and reformed gambler, cowboy Steve Thomson, who now uses packs of cards to illustrate the meaning of the Bible. They have been invited by seemingly affable Lord of the Manor Sir Lachlan Morrison and his wife Lady Delia. However, their hosts have more sinister motives in inviting their guests...
Director Robin Hardy has a very curious career. Before he directed this film he had a resume consisting of two films, the rightly celebrated 'The Wicker Man', a classic of British horror and the so bad it's good 'The Fantasist', a very silly if not uninteresting thriller/horror regarding obsession and a guess the serial killer plot. I'm glad to say, in my opinion anyway, that 'The Wicker Tree', whilst no unmitigated triumph is a partial return to form from Hardy.
Looking like a glossy, made for television remake of 'The Wicker Man', the film walks a fine line between serious horror and parody of the original, occasionally slipping into highly inappropriate scenes of broad comedy.
What I enjoyed were the performances from the cast, especially Graham McTavish, understated as suave Sir Lachlan, and newcomer Brittania Nicol as feisty born again Beth, who's not going to take being lined up as a fertility sacrifice lying down.
It's the closing act of 'The Wicker Tree' which is the most interesting, a very peculiar mix of Benny Hill style chases and captures alongside scenes of unsettling horror. Somehow this schizophrenic approach works. Another very interesting aspect for me is the presence of the Nuclear Power Station in the locality. Could it be possible, that radiation from the plant has rendered many local males infertile, and Sir Lachlan knowing this full well, uses it as a means for carrying on his ancestors more unsavoury traditions?
Apart from the bonkers climax, a couple of scenes stand out, one where Steve plays God's cards and another where songs from new and old religions compete for attention.
There is very little to dislike about the film. The character of Beame, although on paper a very interesting addition and well played by Clive Russell, belongs in a 'Carry On' film. 'The Wicker Tree' also lacks the emotional punch of the original source material, although it is far preferable to the execrable remake/re-imagining starring Nicholas Cage.
So, all in all, a very enjoyable film. This release has no extras to speak of. 4 out of 5.

4 people found this helpful

Zaroff

Fundamentalist whimsy

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 17, 2012

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Approach. How to approach some piece of film by someone who has gained a reputation many years ago, via a piece of cult cinema that has gained a reputation with time.. First word is simple: this is not a horror film. It is like its forebear, a drama with humourous aside, occasionally revealing a horror beneath a surface. The original Wicker Man was a child of the sixties, thrown into the cinematic climate of the seventies. This is not the same game/bag/film. Our present clime is clearly similar to the seventies, yet here we are with heavy decadent imagery plowing into our minds at every turn, we are certainly not as fond of innocence as we once were.

This film, let us never forget, is made by an older man. Aged. The feel of the whole is of an old man's whimsy, a retrospective almost; the editing and pacing is not going to appeal to anyone feeling annoyed with 'teen' appended at each grin. And this has a comedic, hibernian black comedy wit underneath the obvious Britishness meets American colonial new world happy clappy. The Wicker Tree is, on surface superficially, an excuse, to clash hypocritical youth with ancient (older) customs & interpretations. I think the old saying is 'Old age and treachery will overcome youth and skill'. Here the americana is writ large and the chaps cowboy hat and ability to ride bareback are metaphor analogy thrown to those who nod & wink, like old folk. If you get the undertow of this film you are probably not christian fundamentalist or nay, even below the age of consent.

However, for all the faded charm of the age'd customs vying for superiority in a modern world or the fundamental truth of human biology, the film has a few tempo flaws. Its not as exciting as it could be. It takes a long time to get anywhere. Its always going to be compared to it's sprightly days of youth, when Wicker Man sank with little trace only to comeback for the few who could be bothered. Overall there is a sense of inevitable end, of seeing the end coming, even with a twist. This is all part of being over the hill...paganism is the arch, archetypal hefty slap to the face of youth. One day this film will have a cult following...

Editing is odd, deliberately the tempo off kilter, not as gory nor as potent as Wakewood or perhaps any Hammer film. Has not the potent goosebump of the original Wicker Man. Songs throughout are tinsel, when they are in fact integral to the mood in the original film. At the end of the film, a sense of complete yet not sated occurs, as though the meal lacked something. Slightly lacking in audience or punter friendly speed, nor the gory elements or perhaps moreover, the clipped phrases of youth, this takes time to reach maturity. That said, do not compare it to Lair of the White Worm, perhaps only to The Witches, from Hammer, which has a similar sense of absence when consumed.

One person found this helpful

Gaia Seraphina

Schlechter als der Vorgängerfilm

Reviewed in Germany on February 12, 2014

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*
Ich bin ein Fan des ersten Filmes „The Wicker Man“ (nicht das miese Remake von 2006 sondern das gute Original von 1973). Dementsprechend war ich froh, daß der Regisseur Robin Hardy nun endlich eine Fortsetzung zu seinem Klassiker drehte. Doch leider halte ich diese für nicht sehr gelungen.
Es gibt hier einige (von der Plot-Logik her notwendige!) Nacktszenen – genau wie in „The Wicker Man“ auch. Prüde ist der Film daher schon mal nicht zu nennen.
Eine nette Idee ist auch der Cameo-Auftritt von Christopher Lee als Lord Summersisle, welcher jedoch nur ein Rückblick ist.
Die Ausstattung ist ganz hübsch anzuschauen.
Das wär’s dann aber schon mit den positiven Kritikpunkten.
Es gibt zwar auch hier einige Musikeinlagen, doch diese sind meist Gospelsongs und keine Folklore-Lieder wie im ersten Teil. Gospel ist allerdings nicht mein Ding. Zudem gefallen mir die paar Lieder , welche die Heiden hier zum Besten geben auch nicht. besonders (eines davon klingt z.B. wie das Gegrölle betrunkener Fussballfans).
„The Wicker Tree“ mangelt es vor allem aber am Charme, welchen „The Wicker Man“ in Hülle und Fülle bessas..
Der Religions-und Kulturen-Clash in „The Wicker Man“ war amüsant. Das lag v.a. daran, daß die Heiden auf der abgelegenen schottischen Insel zwar als etwas merkwürdige, aber dennoch sympathische Charaktere dargestellt werden und der christliche Inspektor als ein Unruhestifter mit übertrieben strenger (Sexual)-Moral und einer Riesenportion an Arroganz. Die heidnischen Bräuche und Riten waren farben-und lebensfroh und auch sehr interessant, während die christlichen Moralpredigten eher düster und deprimierend erschienen. Der Zuschauer sollte also eindeutig auf Seiten eben jener Heiden stehen … bis er dann mit dem Finale schockiert wurde.
Doch in „The Wicker Tree“ lassen die Heiden jegliche Sympathien vermissen. In meinen Augen erscheinen sie von Anfang an als Sekten-Freaks. Ihr übliches Handeln konnte ich in keinster Weise nachvollziehen (was beim Vorgänger-Film anders war). Es war grösstenteils unlogisch und machte aus ihnen bloss irre Psychos. Dies sorgt allerdings auch dafür, daß „The Wicker Tree“ eindeutig ein Horrorfilm ist, während „The Wicker Man“ einen Genre-Mix darstellte. Das „schockierende“ Ende dieses Filmes hier überrascht daher überhaupt nicht.
Die Rituale hier sind dementsprechend nicht so vielschichtig und fröhlich dargestellt wie im Vorgängerfilm. An „Durchgeknalltheit“ mangelt es ihnen jedoch nicht.
Das Ende halte ich für ganz besonders doof.
Erinnert an die wahnsinnige Schlußszene von „Das Parfüm“, sowie an einen billigen Abklatsch von „House of Wax“.
SPOILER
Das bedeutet ein Opfer wird mit blossen Händen zerrissen und roh verspeist und das andere Opfer wird als (am Anfang noch) lebende Puppe in das hauseigene Grusel-Wachsfigurenkabinett gestellt.
SPOILER Ende
Was diese irren Opferriten mit keltisch-heidnischem Glauben zu tun haben sollen, ist mir irgendwie schleierhaft. Hab noch nie von sowas gehört (klar, von der Maikönigin schon, aber nicht von dem Schmarrn, den man in diesem Film mit ihr anstellt … das Gleiche gilt auch für den „Laddie“).
Das ist für mich nichts weiter als eine alberne Hommage an den altmodischen Hollywood-Horrortrash.
Nein, „The Wicker Tree“ ist kein Würdiger Nachfolger des Kultfilmes „The Wicker Man“.

Den Film gibt es z.Z. noch nicht in deutscher Sprache. Ich selber hätte jedoch neben englischer Sprache auch noch englische Untertitel gehabt, weil ich geschriebenes Englisch besser verstehe als gesprochenes. Diese sprachliche Zusatzfunktion wird ja auch bei original englischen Filmen öfters gemacht für gehörgeschädigte Zuschauer. Hier nicht.

Der Film basiert auf dem Buch „Cowboys of Christ“. Dieses ist allerdings auch unter dem Titel „The Wicker Tree“ erschienen. Gibt es ebenfalls nur in englischer Sprache.

6 people found this helpful

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P. Rowe

Where's Rowan Morrison when you need her?

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 15, 2012

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After an extended wait, Robin Hardy finally gets his chance to show that the Wicker Man was more than just a brilliant Anthony Shaffer script and that he is an overlooked auteur. However, and it pains me to say this, the Wicker Tree fails to show him as anything other than a commercials director with a flair for the odd visual and certainly no great story teller. So exactly what Shaffer said all along...

The movie starts well, it's well shot and there is a degree of unease but within 25 minutes it is rambling and struggling to maintain a coherent narrative. Part of its problem is in its characters who lack the power and basic oddness that the former film had in such abundance. The cast simply aren't strange enough and the situations are too mundane to really create a convincing new pagan community. At the heart of the film the Christian Conservative boy and gal are too annoying to care for and so you don't feel the same concern as you do for poor old Neil Howie once he realises that he has been fool for a day.

There are some good sequences, especially as you reach the point of the Riding of the Laddie but without a charismatic community leader at the core of the story and a rather bland setting it all falls far short of the original. The music too promises much but ultimately never recaptures the disquieting beauty of the original.

What may be interesting is the views of the audience who might see this before the 1973 film, they will be able to greet rather than groan at the ending and they may also find Honeysuckle Weeks a tad more interesting than those of us who preferred Britt Eckland cavorting around to a Paul Giovanni folk song.

Still far preferable to Neil LaBute's remake and at the very least a British Horror movie trying to tell a scary story with some style. That last point is at least a reason to cheer.

Grey Lady

A parody of the original.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 4, 2012

Verified Purchase

I watched this film a day ago, and I liked it. One should actually interpret it somewhat as a parody of the original Wicker Man, something only the original director could (and would!) do for it to be acceptable. Only someone who knows a story through and through could get away with it. And he does, at least in my view.

Obviously, you now know what to expect with regard to the secrifices. Furthermore if you know the original very well, you will spot the parallels in the plot immediately, even if the kind of pagan sacrifice is of another sort. But the type of music, the reasons for needing the Old Gods, the dead animal (a cat this time), the frolicking villagers, the child lure, they are all very present. Of course, the pagan cults I know of are very different although a festive May Day (Beltane after all) is usually part of them. Actually everything is made fun of, the pagan cult itself, the naive evangelists, and even village life in general.

What I didn't expect was the grisly demise of Lord Lachlan himself, while Steve and Beth are somewhat more sympathetic than Inspector Howie was even if they are stereotypes of certain American Evangelical movements. For the rest the story reflects the earlier one, though in a lighter mould (the bloody sacrifice itself notwithstanding).

For me, it was worth 4 stars, it is not as good as the original. Instead of being horrified, one will be interested in how it works out. One can also enjoy the humour that is especially good if you know the original. I expect that newcomers might be less convinced, but they will be confronted with a good story. It is certainly a lot better than the remake of the Wicker Man.

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