The Blackcoat's Daughter -- a review

The description for The Blackcoat’s Daughter on Amazon states that it’s a mystery thriller about two young students who must deal with the supernatural while staying over at their empty boarding school during the winter break. It sort of makes it sound like Nancy Drew meets Scooby Doo, and I wasn't too sure about seeing this. Imagine my pleasant surprise when, instead of a family-friendly mystery that Disney would have aired on its Sunday night show way back in the day, I receive a truly scary horror film about demonic possession that’s directed by the son of Norman Bates himself.

The Blackcoat’s Daughter--which was originally called February, because that was when the story takes place--is the directorial debut of Oz Perkins (credited in the film as Osgood Perkins), one of the sons of the late Anthony Perkins, who was best known for his role in Hitchcock’s dark masterpiece Psycho. Oz Perkins has fashioned a genuinely creepy tale here about two students at an all-girls boarding school who get left behind when their parents seemingly blow off parents’ day--after which they should have been taken home for the winter break.

Set in Upstate New York against a chillingly snowy landscape, the bleak wintry atmosphere--even during the bright daytime--only adds to the film’s creepy factor. It starts out as a slow-burn thriller as it builds up its story through the eyes of three characters, Kat (Kiernan Shipka), Rose (Lucy Boynton) and Joan (Emma Roberts). It may feel like it’s taking its sweet time in getting set up at first, but stick with it. Perkins is building up the back story, as well as the characters, so that when the weird stuff begins, you care about what happens because he makes you care about these characters. And all of the actors in this (including the always great James Remar) are marvelous.

So many horror film makers go for the gut--often times literally, thinking the best way to scare the viewer is with blood and guts. It’s the rare horror movie--and The Blackcoat’s Daughter is one of them--that scares you through a well-earned build up of dread. The horror elements in this film are subdued, which make them all the more frightening--there are some chilling visual imagery here that really scared me. The gore is suggested with a blood splatter here and there, and having the carnage take place largely off screen is what makes The Blackcoat’s Daughter so effective, and unnerving. If you’re looking for a genuinely scary horror movie this Halloween that’s not stomach-churning, give The Blackcoat’s Daughter a try. Just keep the lights on while you watch it. --SF

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