The Review (Spoiler Free)
The Blackcoat’s Daughter, released in 2015 and directed by Oz Perkins, is a film that delves into the horror genre with a unique and atmospheric approach. The movie is set during the dead of winter at an isolated prep school, where a sinister presence looms over two stranded students and a mysterious young woman on a journey marked by dread.
The film’s slow-building tension and resistance to the typical ‘girls-in-peril’ clichés are commendable, offering a fresh take on the supernatural thriller genre. The narrative unfolds with a non-linear storyline, which, while ambitious, has received mixed reviews regarding its effectiveness in maintaining suspense and coherence.
Critics have praised the film for its stylistic elements, particularly the haunting soundtrack that contributes significantly to the film’s eerie ambiance. The performances by the lead actors—Emma Roberts, Kiernan Shipka, and Lucy Boynton—are noteworthy, each bringing a restrained intensity to their roles that aligns with the film’s overall tone of aloofness and mystery.
However, some critics argue that the characters are underdeveloped, leaving the audience wanting more depth and emotional connection. The film’s reliance on atmosphere and mood, while successful in creating an unsettling experience, may not fully compensate for the perceived lack of substance in the storyline and character arcs.
The Blackcoat’s Daughter holds a 76% Tomatometer rating based on 78 reviews and a 51% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. It has been described as unconventional, with moments that are genuinely creepy, contributing to a haunted-house atmosphere that lingers with the viewer.
Spoiler Ending (Spoiler Warning!!)
The big surprise of the movie is that Kat and Joan are same character played by different actors. That is something different that the director did in the movie to throw you off. But when you watch the movie closely, it is very obvious that Kat and Joan are same person in different time line.
Yes, the movie has two different time line in the story. Kat and Rose are in the same time line, but Joan’s story happens 9 years later. So you might say Joan is older Kat.
The Story goes like this. Kat and Rose decided to stay over the winter break for different reasons. Rose is pregnant and she didn’t want to face her parents. She stayed over the break to meet up with her boyfriend to break off the relationship. Kat stayed over the break because her parents never came to pick her up. We found that later on her parent was dead. Most likely they were killed by the demon. Over the break, Demon find Kat and possess her. We didn’t to see demon clearly but it reminds be of creepy rabbit from Donnie Darko. The possessed Kat killed everyone in the boarding school including Rose.
The school priest eventually cast out the demon, but she felt alone without the demon. When the demon left Kat, she called out to the demon and said “don’t go.” She was then sent to mental hospital to be treated. But eventually she escape by killing some people in the hospital. We know this because we saw quick flash back. We also know that Kat is Joan because there is one scene where she has got driver licence of some one who she killed at the hospital named Joan.
She decided to make the journey to back to school after 9 years later hoping to find the demon again. On the way back to the boarding school, she ran into Rose’s parents who are also going to the boarding school to remember death of her daughter. Irony of this meet up is that Bill, Rose’s dad, decided to help her because he thinks that God brought them together by fate. Joan eventually kills them. She felt if she kills and scarifies to the demon again, demon will come back to possesses her again. But at the end, demon didn’t come back to possesses and she cries in frustration. She realized that she’ll be alone forever.
In the Nutshell
The Blackcoat’s Daughter is a film that may polarize audiences with its distinct style and storytelling approach. It is a movie that favors mood and atmosphere over explicit narrative clarity, which can be either its greatest strength or its most significant weakness, depending on one’s taste in horror cinema. Those who appreciate a more atmospheric and suggestive form of horror may find this film a hidden gem, while others may be left desiring a more traditional horror narrative structure. I give 5 out of 5 stars.
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Genre: Demon possession
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