Originally (and more aptly) titled “February,” Oz Perkins’ 2015 directorial debut certainly fits amongst its counterparts at A24. The studio has established itself firmly within the “arthouse horror” genre with entries like “The Witch,” “Hereditary,” “Midsommar,” “It Comes at Night,” and “The Monster.” These films are deliberately paced and thoughtfully crafted features which utilize genre elements as metaphors for the human stories at their core, and you probably either absolutely love them or they make you feel like you’re watching spooky paint dry. While “The Blackcoat’s Daughter” is no exception to this rule, those who meet it on its own terms will be treated to an unsettling reflection on loneliness and the self-perpetuating depths of abandonment. A24 indeed.
Set in upstate New York, “The Blackcoat’s Daughter” takes place in three chapters following three characters: Rose (Lucy Boynton), Joan (Emma Roberts), and Kat (Kiernan Shipka). Rose and Kat are students at Bramford Catholic Academy who are left behind when the student body leaves for February vacation. The two are supposedly alone, but it soon becomes clear that this is not the case. Meanwhile, a woman named Joan is hitchhiking her way across the state. It’s not clear why, but she seems to be heading toward Bramford.
The ensuing 93 minutes play out just as much as a mystery as they do a horror. The timeline of the three chapters is intentionally unclear at first and characters intersect in unexpected ways as the story develops. Oz Perkins referred to this film as a “poem” and the relationship between the three stories highlights this. Certain shots and themes “rhyme” between chapters, perpetuating the sense of mystery.
This intrigue is part of what carries “The Blackcoat’s Daughter” through long beginning stretches with little in the way of outright scares. Sometimes it feels like the film is playing its hand a little too early, only to take a left turn and pull out something completely unexpected. Once the pieces are in order, the ultimate reveal and conclusion is satisfying and repeat viewers will be pleased to see that their answers were hidden in plain sight all along. I long to go into more detail, but to do so would ruin all of the fun.
Kiernan Shipka in a scene from “The Blackcoat’s Daughter” (Paris Film, 2015).
Our lead trio all turn in excellent performances and sell the authenticity of their characters through their facial expressions more than the sparse dialogue. Emma Roberts has become something of a scream queen in recent years, but here pulls of a chillingly subdued performance, while hinting at something much darker behind the scenes in isolated moments. Shipka takes the cake for being sympathetic and petrifying in equal measure, jolting between the two in an otherworldly way. Lucy Boynton anchors the whole thing as the audience POV character, and it is through her panicky eyes that we see the situation at Bramford spiral out of control.
The other biggest strength of “The Blackcoat’s Daughter” is the potency of its atmosphere. Bramford Academy feels like the perfect Catholic school to have an exorcism in. The film spends a lot of time relishing in its long dark hallways and claustrophobic living spaces, spending just enough time outside to remind us how isolated and remote this place is. It feels like anything could be lurking around the next dimly lit corner. Elvis Perkins’ score oppresses the senses in the best way, blustering against the ear drums like the icy winter winds outside.
Some of the greatest horror is built on universal fears. The fear of being alone is something that is built into our very DNA. The feeling is primal, and powerful. That fear is built into the empty icy roads, the oppressive endless cloudy sky, and the long stretches of silence in dark hallways. It is personified in Kiernan Shipka’s otherworldly performance as Kat, weaving fluidly between reality and something much more sinister as the film goes on. By the time the story has built to its thoroughly unnerving climax, all tragedies revealed, the whole affair begins to feel a little too real. I felt cold as the credits rolled. One of the highest compliments I can give to a horror movie is that it got under my skin, and “The Blackcoat’s Daughter” accomplishes that in droves.
Note: I googled spooky paint while writing this and it’s an actual color that you can buy and paint everything you own with. Check it out.
