Film archive, 1973

The Wicker Man

Director Robin Hardy

1Festival entries

Overall

★Avg. rating

In the 1970s, the Scottish police officer Howie receives a report and travels to Summerisle, off the west coast, to investigate the disappearance of a young girl, Rowan. The islanders keep changing their stories, and the girl’s body is never found. Howie senses something sinister: the islanders follow a pagan faith and, led by Lord Summerisle, are preparing a festival. Shocked to learn that the rite calls for a human sacrifice, Howie insists on digging deeper as danger quietly closes in. A founding work of British folk horror, the film had a troubled start on release but turned its reputation around through word of mouth among film lovers, even earning the accolade “the Citizen Kane of horror films”. Its soundtrack, with both pastoral charm and an eerie texture, has a style all its own.

Stills(2)

Film details

Director: Robin Hardy
Country/Region: United Kingdom
Year: 1973
Length: 93min
Original language: English
Elsewhere: Letterboxd IMDb Wikidata TMDB Douban

Director

Robin Hardy

Credits

Director: Robin Hardy
Screenplay: Anthony Shaffer
Original work: David Pinner
Cast: Edward Woodward, Christopher Lee, Diane Cilento, Britt Ekland

Festival appearances(1)

Choose a festival entry to see its screenings, articles and audience reviews.

The Wicker Man (The Final Cut, 4K Restoration)British Flair: A Showcase of Classic Cinema 2026British Flair: A Showcase of Classic Cinema

Festival history(1)

Shanghai Film Archive, 2026British Flair: A Showcase of Classic Cinema

Film posters

Poster language