Children of the Wicker Man – FrightFest 2024 Movie Review
Director: Justin Hardy, Dominic Hardy
Plot: 50 years on from the making of The Wicker Man (1973), director Robin Hardy’s lost papers come to filmmaker son Justin. Enlisting his brother Dominic, they journey to discover the complex nature of independent filmmaking and fatherhood.
Runtime: 1 Hour 32 Minutes
There may be spoilers in the rest of the review
Verdict on Children of the Wicker Man
Children of the Wicker Man is a documentary following Justin and Dominic Hardy exploring their father’s notes. Their father directed one of the most famous movies in British history, The Wicker Man. However, they are half-brothers who barely knew each other growing up.
They look back at their different childhoods with their father Robin and learn how The Wicker Man came about. It explores the troublesome production process the movie went through. Robin’s inexperience behind the camera directing and stubborn mindset to make the movie how he expects the movie to look.
The movie puts a lot of focus on the production and post-release frustration behind the film. However, deeper down the documentary focuses more on Justin’s need to address his conflicted relationship with his father. We jump between his problems with his father and the shattered relationships the film created.
This is interesting, showing the problems between a creative mind and his family. It proves people can affect people’s lives in times you never imagined seeing them. This is an unusual journey, which opens up old wounds and proves time can ease wounds.
Final Thoughts –Children of the Wicker Man is a moving journey to understanding a distant parent’s relationship.