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| Scene from The Blackcoat's Daughter |
In case you didn't know, A24 is one of the great purveyors of modern cinema. Since 2013, the studio has found a way to innovate independent cinema by turning each release into an event. As a result, A24 A-to-Z will be an ongoing series that looks at every release from the studio by analyzing its production history, release, criticisms, and any awards attention that it might've received. Join me on a quest to explore the modern heroes of cinema by exploring every hit and miss that comes with that magnificent logo. They may not all be great, but they more than make A24 what it is and what it will hopefully continue to be for ears to come.
Released: February 16, 2017
Release Number: 47
Directed By: Oz Perkins
Starring: Emma Roberts, Kiernan Shipka, Lucy Boynton
Plot: Two girls must battle a mysterious evil force when they get left behind at their boarding school over winter break.
In 2016, A24 released one of the most nuanced and quiet horror movies from their roster with director Brian Bertino's The Monster. It was a powerful family drama mixed into a roadside monster movie, and in some ways owes a lot of credit to collaborator Oz Perkins, whose own career was just as winding as that road, if not more so. Perkins' The Blackcoat's Daughter was a film that was many years in the making, managing to have delayed releases to the point that Perkins' directorial debut ended up being his second released, and even had some influence on The Monster. Whatever the case may be, it was another one of the studio's second-tier horror films to leave some form of an impression with a supporting cast that delivered the scares and presented a unique on the possession genre that could easily have been done as a cliche. It's a film that has managed to gain some traction thanks to its inventive story, and excellent use of main stars Emma Roberts and Kiernan Shipka. So why then did it take so long to get released?
There isn't really much of a story about The Blackcoat's Daughter's origins, though it does seem like something that was destined to happen. Oz Perkins and his brother Elvis are both children of the late actor Anthony Perkins, best known for his work in the 1960 film Psycho. In spite of this, Perkins was not a big fan of making horror movies, though believed that he wanted to make films that reflected his sensibilities. Upon watching the films Let the Right One In and Bertino's The Strangers, he became invested in the idea of horror being more than graphic and full of jump scares. He latched onto the emotional component of the films and became interested in working on films that reflected a deeper emotional core.
The script for The Blackcoat's Daughter was completed in 2012 but wouldn't be put into production until 2015. Perkins claimed that the box office decline of horror movies was what lead to such a poor turnaround. Others claimed that the script was just too difficult to film, especially given that some characters had supernatural gifts that couldn't be seen. Still, by the time that production came along he had quick enthusiasm from the stars. Roberts claimed that she read the script and wasn't able to sleep after that, also admiring the character dynamics of her isolated character. Shipka, whom Perkins was a big fan of after the film's performance, had an even quicker turnaround and signed on the day after receiving the script. Along with producer Bertino, the film went into production in February of 2015 under its original name February, named in large part because of the month that the film took place.
The film was shot predominantly in Kemptville, Canada. The location that they used was for a school that was partially shut down at the time. Because of its eerie vibes, they were able to use the entire location for the film, including an adjacent dormitory for the cast and crew to sleep at. On the day that Roberts was required to film her highly emotional scenes outdoors, it was recorded in the Almanac that it was the town's coldest day on record in over 40 years. Again, Perkins admired Roberts for being committed to the character in spite of these seeming limitations. He also admired that Shipka was able to portray a deranged person who had crazy visions in spite of never being able to physically see them. Elvis Perkins provided the ethereal score for the film, which many praised for its atmospheric clash with the sound design. He disliked it, but it still left a positive impact on those who saw the film.
Despite the film being done in 2015, it would take 17 months for the film to have any significant release. In that time, Perkins worked with Bertino on The Monster, which Bertino claimed to have some influence from The Blackcoat's Daughter in it. This included using the same set locations for certain scenes in both of the films. Perkins also created and released another movie, I Am the Pretty Thing That Lives in the House with Ruth Wilson and Bob Balaban, that came out in October 2016 through Netflix. Even Bertino's film The Monster barely came out ahead of Perkins' directorial debut despite both being released by A24. The film would eventually make its premiere at Fantastic Fest in September 2015 to positive reviews. Starting in July 2016, the film - now being co-released between A24 and DirecTV - would suffer a series of release date push backs before eventually landing on February 2017 through video on demand and a month later released theatrically to middling success, earning $20,439 at the box office.
All things considered and the incessant push backs, The Blackcoat's Daughter ended up receiving a fairly positive reception. According to critics aggregate website Rotten Tomatoes, the film earned a 71%, which was above average for a DirecTV release. Scott Tobias of NPR lead the charge with positive feedback, noting "The film feels determinedly old-fashioned, awash in a hypnotic ambience that's only occasionally punctured by violence. Like his father, Perkins makes his jolts count." Chris Nashawaty of Entertainment Weekly seconded Tobias' enthusiasm when he wrote "It's an atmospheric slow-burn that's heavy on moody insinuation and light on overt gotcha scares." Dann Gire of Chicago Daily Herald tended to reflect the negative reviews when suggesting "These characters remain aloof and sketchy. They do not earn our sympathy or concern in a thriller where horror filmmakers simply try too hard." As a whole, the film maintained a positive reception, though was far from the most memorable film released in 2017 that featured A24 and horror.
The Blackcoat's Daughter remains a compelling little horror drama about women at a school who go through some insane changes. Thanks to Perkins dutiful direction, it's a film that goes above the simple shock and horror, and reunites the team behind one of A24's more undervalued films The Monster. With all of that said, it's one of their more underrated films in large part to the great performances and atmosphere that make the entire experience all the more unnerving. With that said, their next film would feature a lot to get fired up about especially in the realm of atmosphere and great performances. It's a film that was essentially one elaborate shoot'em up reinvented as some perverse commentary. It was also the return of one of A24's few Oscar-winning performers with Brie Larson. It may not seem like a great film on the surface, but there's plenty about Free Fire to get fired up about.
Up Next: Free Fire (2017)
In 2016, A24 released one of the most nuanced and quiet horror movies from their roster with director Brian Bertino's The Monster. It was a powerful family drama mixed into a roadside monster movie, and in some ways owes a lot of credit to collaborator Oz Perkins, whose own career was just as winding as that road, if not more so. Perkins' The Blackcoat's Daughter was a film that was many years in the making, managing to have delayed releases to the point that Perkins' directorial debut ended up being his second released, and even had some influence on The Monster. Whatever the case may be, it was another one of the studio's second-tier horror films to leave some form of an impression with a supporting cast that delivered the scares and presented a unique on the possession genre that could easily have been done as a cliche. It's a film that has managed to gain some traction thanks to its inventive story, and excellent use of main stars Emma Roberts and Kiernan Shipka. So why then did it take so long to get released?
There isn't really much of a story about The Blackcoat's Daughter's origins, though it does seem like something that was destined to happen. Oz Perkins and his brother Elvis are both children of the late actor Anthony Perkins, best known for his work in the 1960 film Psycho. In spite of this, Perkins was not a big fan of making horror movies, though believed that he wanted to make films that reflected his sensibilities. Upon watching the films Let the Right One In and Bertino's The Strangers, he became invested in the idea of horror being more than graphic and full of jump scares. He latched onto the emotional component of the films and became interested in working on films that reflected a deeper emotional core.
The script for The Blackcoat's Daughter was completed in 2012 but wouldn't be put into production until 2015. Perkins claimed that the box office decline of horror movies was what lead to such a poor turnaround. Others claimed that the script was just too difficult to film, especially given that some characters had supernatural gifts that couldn't be seen. Still, by the time that production came along he had quick enthusiasm from the stars. Roberts claimed that she read the script and wasn't able to sleep after that, also admiring the character dynamics of her isolated character. Shipka, whom Perkins was a big fan of after the film's performance, had an even quicker turnaround and signed on the day after receiving the script. Along with producer Bertino, the film went into production in February of 2015 under its original name February, named in large part because of the month that the film took place.
The film was shot predominantly in Kemptville, Canada. The location that they used was for a school that was partially shut down at the time. Because of its eerie vibes, they were able to use the entire location for the film, including an adjacent dormitory for the cast and crew to sleep at. On the day that Roberts was required to film her highly emotional scenes outdoors, it was recorded in the Almanac that it was the town's coldest day on record in over 40 years. Again, Perkins admired Roberts for being committed to the character in spite of these seeming limitations. He also admired that Shipka was able to portray a deranged person who had crazy visions in spite of never being able to physically see them. Elvis Perkins provided the ethereal score for the film, which many praised for its atmospheric clash with the sound design. He disliked it, but it still left a positive impact on those who saw the film.
Despite the film being done in 2015, it would take 17 months for the film to have any significant release. In that time, Perkins worked with Bertino on The Monster, which Bertino claimed to have some influence from The Blackcoat's Daughter in it. This included using the same set locations for certain scenes in both of the films. Perkins also created and released another movie, I Am the Pretty Thing That Lives in the House with Ruth Wilson and Bob Balaban, that came out in October 2016 through Netflix. Even Bertino's film The Monster barely came out ahead of Perkins' directorial debut despite both being released by A24. The film would eventually make its premiere at Fantastic Fest in September 2015 to positive reviews. Starting in July 2016, the film - now being co-released between A24 and DirecTV - would suffer a series of release date push backs before eventually landing on February 2017 through video on demand and a month later released theatrically to middling success, earning $20,439 at the box office.
All things considered and the incessant push backs, The Blackcoat's Daughter ended up receiving a fairly positive reception. According to critics aggregate website Rotten Tomatoes, the film earned a 71%, which was above average for a DirecTV release. Scott Tobias of NPR lead the charge with positive feedback, noting "The film feels determinedly old-fashioned, awash in a hypnotic ambience that's only occasionally punctured by violence. Like his father, Perkins makes his jolts count." Chris Nashawaty of Entertainment Weekly seconded Tobias' enthusiasm when he wrote "It's an atmospheric slow-burn that's heavy on moody insinuation and light on overt gotcha scares." Dann Gire of Chicago Daily Herald tended to reflect the negative reviews when suggesting "These characters remain aloof and sketchy. They do not earn our sympathy or concern in a thriller where horror filmmakers simply try too hard." As a whole, the film maintained a positive reception, though was far from the most memorable film released in 2017 that featured A24 and horror.
The Blackcoat's Daughter remains a compelling little horror drama about women at a school who go through some insane changes. Thanks to Perkins dutiful direction, it's a film that goes above the simple shock and horror, and reunites the team behind one of A24's more undervalued films The Monster. With all of that said, it's one of their more underrated films in large part to the great performances and atmosphere that make the entire experience all the more unnerving. With that said, their next film would feature a lot to get fired up about especially in the realm of atmosphere and great performances. It's a film that was essentially one elaborate shoot'em up reinvented as some perverse commentary. It was also the return of one of A24's few Oscar-winning performers with Brie Larson. It may not seem like a great film on the surface, but there's plenty about Free Fire to get fired up about.
Up Next: Free Fire (2017)
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