Britt Ekland, Christopher Lee, Diane Cilento

When a young girl mysteriously disappears, police sergeant Howie (Edward Woodward) travels to a remote Scottish island to investigate. But this pastoral community, led by the strange Lord Summerisle (...( read more  read more... )Christopher Lee), is not at all what it seems. Before long, the devout Christian detective uncovers a secret society of wanton lust and pagan blasphemy.

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80% liked it

34,759 ratings

Critics

91% liked it

45 critics

R, 1 hr. 24 min.

Directed by: Robin Hardy

Release Date: December 1, 1973

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DVD Release Date: January 6, 2009

Stats: 2,662 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (2,662)


  • November 15, 2009
    Chocked full of naked dancing and bizarre sexual debauchery, The Wicker Man is just twisted enough to elicit a few jaw-dropping WTF moments. This 1975 original manages to do what the ill-fated 2006 remake failed to accomplish, it genuinely feels wicked and creepy. And he...( read more)re's something they don't tell you in the synopsis, it's a MUSICAL! Yes my friends, a "horror musical". That puts it in the same genre with Sweeny Todd and The Rocky Horror Picture Show (although the songs aren't quite as overt). So, if you're up for a macabre sing-a-long boobie-fest that's anything but mainstream, The Wicker Man might just be your cup of tea.
  • September 29, 2009
    A classic. Not really horror, or at least not as obvious as a slasher film. Creepy & beautiful, with a great cast and wonderfully shot on such a small budget. All this and an ending you won?t forget. Forget Aliens and monsters, religious people are far more frightening! Brilliant...( read more). I have to say though that I?m curious but also baffled by of the recent remake.
  • July 14, 2009
    One of the best Movies i've ever seen!!!!
  • July 12, 2009
    A very bizarre film, which was nothing like how I?m imagined it to be. It was like a musical Horror ?? There are some quirky moments throughout and is a watchable film, but not one I wasn't fussed either way over .
  • June 9, 2009
    Aghhhhhhhhhh! HELP!!!

    I came up to Dumfries & Galloway to tour round some of the locations used in The Wicker Man and the worst thing imaginable has happened: some local pagans are holding me captive in a pub called "The Green Man", and they say they are going to sacrific...( read more)e me to their sun god, Nuada, tomorrow at dusk!

    I've tried explaining to them that I'm not a virgin but they don't seem to believe me! I asked the landlord of the pub whether it wasn't his beautiful young daughter, Willow's, duty to put my 'chastity' to the test by trying to seduce me. He admitted that she used to perform this chore, but said she has now given up offering herself to sacrificial virgins because the rejections were bad for her self-esteem, and she has her slatternly reputation to think of. I tried reasoning with the girl, telling her that while I couldn't absolutely guarantee her satisfaction if she agreed to sleep with me, there certainly wouldn't be any "rejection" coming from my side of the bed. Unfortunately, Willow was having none of it.

    In a fit of desperation, I tried to change her mind with a naked song and dance routine and a bit of sensual drumming on the communicating door between her bedroom and my own. Alas, the only thing I attracted were complaints from the other human sacrifices, further down the corridor, who said they needed a good night's sleep in order to give the pagans a decent chase through the cave system in the morning.

    I went back down to the bar to drown my sorrows, and the landlord, taking pity on me, said that since Willow had sworn off virgins (I AM NOT A VIRGIN, DAMN IT!!!), it was only fair that he should offer me a substitute to test my chastity with, namely either his eighty year old mother-in-law, Ivy, or his son(!), Hemlock. To be fair, this pair seemed only too eager to help, so I was sorry to disappoint them when I told the landlord: "I'd rather die!"

    The matter settled, Lord Summerisle informed me that, with the current economic crisis and the price of good, combustible wicker going through the roof, the best fate he could offer me would be a ritualised burning inside a wicker small mammal. He then handed me a Fool's fancy dress costume, a bladder and a pair of running shoes, and told me where to muster for my "appointment with the Wicker Hamster"!!
  • October 30, 2009
    Photobucket

    Welcome to Summerisle. Please don't come ...( read more)alone.

    A police officer is sent to Summerisle to search for a missing girl: Rowan Morrison. In his investigation, he stumbles upon rituals. These rituals are based on the pagan religion. He is a strict christian and doesn't understand the lust which inhabits much of the women on the island. Most of them have sex under the moon light, strip naked before a fire before jumping over it in some sort of fertility ritual. Even the officer is tempted by one woman in the room next to him.

    She sings, naked, trying to lure him to her. He doesn't succomb to her advices. What a fool.

    As the investigation twists and turns in discovering that Rowan might be dead, he discovers her grave, digs up the casket and discovers no body, but a dead rabbit. He confronts Lord Summerisle (played by Christopher Lee) complaining about the lack of the christian religion on the island. Everything is nonsense to the officer and you start to wish he'd get his comeuppance.

    The officer eventually puts two and two together concerning the islands May Day festival where they sacrifice something to appease the sun god since their harvest this year wasn't a success. He assumes that Rowan will be that sacrifice instead it's a trap because it's him.

    The ending is great clash of Christian values and Pagan Rituals when the officer is tied up and placed in the belly of the wicker man. The people of Summerisle set it a blaze with the officer inside quoting Pslams 23 while the rest of the islanders sing a folk song. It's such a beautiful and creepy scene and I guess we'll never know if this sacrifice brought the people of summerisle their crops for the harvest.
  • October 28, 2009
    The original and best version. Why anyone would even consider wanting to remake this one-of-a-kind movie is beyond all comprehension.
  • October 23, 2009
    Very interesting look at religion. I was expecting it to be really terrifying which it wasn't at all, I imagine in it's day it was though! But it was a terrific film, with fabulous acting and an excellent plot. They just don't make them like this anymore!
    Note: to those reviewers...( read more) before me, it is not a musical!
  • October 14, 2009
    This version is definitely better than the remake. In this version, the focus is more on the odd community rather than the lead character. I wish they hadn't made the lead character such a religious fanatic, but it was a good contrast against the rest of the people.
  • October 14, 2009
    weird but quite a good film, edward woodward plays a good part

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The Wicker Man Trivia


  • Christopher Lee as Lord Summerisle, Edward Woodward as the police sergeant & Britt Ekland as a pagan?  Answer »
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