A24 has put out some amazing horror movies. Hereditary, Midsommar, TheWitch… But there’s one film in their catalog that consistently gets overshadowed, The Blackcoat’sDaughter. Honestly, it is so strange that people do not talk about this one more. It is a dark, slow, and deeply unsettling film. This is why the film is not only one of the best A24 has to offer, but one of the best in the 2010s.
Atmosphere Over Everything Else
First, let’s talk about atmosphere. The film is so bleak and miserable that it fills your lungs with dread, choking the air out of you. Set at a remote boarding school during winter break, The Blackcoat’s Daughter is a masterclass in building suspense through sound design and cinematography. I understand that slow burns aren’t for everyone. However, if you are watching an A24 film, you should probably look elsewhere for action.
A Slow Burn That Scorches
This isn’t a film that relies on jump scares or cheap thrills. The Blackcoat’s Daughter is a slow burn, taking its time to develop its characters and its plot, and really letting the tension simmer before you do not see what is coming until it explodes. The less you know about the story, the better. With all A24 movies, nothing is quite as it seems, and the plot is almost certainly a metaphor for mental illness.
Grief, Isolation, and Teen Girl Angst: A Deliciously Dark Combo
At its heart, The Blackcoat’s Daughter is about grief, isolation, and the anxieties of being a teenage girl. In a similar vein to Fight Club, this film warns us of the true dangers of isolation and loneliness. Turns out, it can make us do some pretty nasty things.
However, this film is heady. It is filled with twists and turns as well as moving back and forth through time. If you are looking for something simple to turn on, this is not it. But if you are looking for something that will draw you in and keep you guessing, The Blackcoat’s Daughter is the perfect film to watch alone on a snowy night.
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