THE WICKER MAN is among the most highly regarded horror films ever made — if it is in fact a horror film at all, which seems to be a defining aspect of a lot of this season's selections so far.

I find it to be smart and literate, and I think it gives people a lot to chew on and discuss both in terms of what it presents narratively and visually, and what it proposes philosophically. It's filled with symbolism and foreshadowing, and it doesn't rely on the usual tricks of jump scares or gore to destabilize the viewer.

I would say that the film is a reaction or a response to a couple of things. First and principally, the legacy of Hammer Horror movies that Christopher Lee was, then and now, probably best known for. He and the filmmakers wanted to do something without traditional monsters, which were themselves responses to sociopolitical events like the two world wars, and also to the growing popularity of alternative religions in the UK and also around the world.

This is a film that rewards repeat viewings. In doing so, you really begin to pay attention to the details of the deception that the denizens of Summerisle are perpetrating on Howie.

To listen to our episode on THE WICKER MAN, click here.

Bradford Louryk