Review – The Wicker Man: The Final Cut 4K Restoration – “Stunning and an absolutely unmissable cinematic event”

The Wicker Man stars Edward Woodward (Hot Fuzz), Christopher Lee (Dracula) and Britt Ekland (The Man With the Golden Gun) and is directed by Robin Hardy. A new 4K restoration, The Wicker Man: The Final Cut, is showing in cinemas in time for the Summer solstice (naturally) for one night only on the 21st of June 2023.

Showing alongside the film is a special 50th Anniversary Event featuring guest of honour, Britt Ekland, the associate musical director from the film Gary Carpenter, the family of Robin Hardy and acclaimed writer/actor Reece Shearsmith (The League of Gentlemen), plus an exclusive musical performance by Broadside Hacks, who will be performing four songs from the film’s iconic soundtrack.

Sergeant Howie is a copper who travels to a small island off the coast of Scotland in search of a missing girl, Rowan. An extremely uptight Christian, Howie is shocked at the pagan goings-on on Summerisle and is frustrated every which way: sexually, as he tries his darnedest to resist the advances of the landlord’s daughter, Willow (Britt Ekland), as well as at every turn in his investigations by the lying locals and the charming Lord Summerisle (Christopher Lee).

Tormented and praying the horniness away by night and being bamboozled in his search for Rowan by day, one thing is certain: Sergeant Howie must keep his appointment with The Wicker Man…

A masterpiece of not just folk horror, or British horror, but horror in general, The Wicker Man is a classic for a reason. It’s a creeping slow burn full of fascinating rituals (which are more cool than scary in this day and age), with a final reckoning that has been “homaged” by everything from Midsommar to Kill List to A Serbian Film.

Relatively bloodless, the horror is in the dread we feel about what is happening beneath the surface, just out of view, and mind, of Howie, no matter how many homes he turns upside down in his quest. Even in a modern England where folk rituals and stone circles are being embraced more than ever with the advent of zines like Weird Walk, Hellebore and Hwaet, and new female-led Morris dancing making it on stage at the Brits (where the Boss Morris troupe performed with Wet Leg this year) the finale still has tremendous, shocking power and burns itself into the brain.

Audio and picture-wise, The Final Cut of The Wicker Man looks incredible, like it was shot yesterday, and the wonderful folk song soundtrack is as clear as a bell. However, it does contain new scenes which, while the highest quality available, are still noticeably degraded in comparison to the rest of the film.

As a Wicker Fan, these are fun additions and it is always a thrill to see more of something you love, but the extra scenes of the locals being naughty, Howie in church and Lord Summerisle sending a young lad to Willow to lose his virginity, all of which come in the first third, result in the film playing its hand too early. They make the themes feel too on the nose, some of Willow’s dialogue to Lord Summerisle feels like a potential spoiler and Christopher Lee’s fabulous Lord is best kept up the film’s sleeve until later – as per the theatrical version.

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The new 4K restoration, to mark the film’s 50th anniversary, is stunning and an absolutely unmissable cinematic event whether this is your first or fiftieth appointment with The Wicker Man.

The Wicker Man: The Final Cut is rereleased in UK cinemas for one night only on 21st June.

STUDIOCANAL has restored all 3 cuts of THE WICKER MAN in honour of the 50^th anniversary. All three versions of the film; The Final Cut, the Director’s Cut and the Theatrical Cut, will be released in an exclusive Collector’s Edition and on 4k UHD for the first time on September 4^th. The 5-disc Collector’s Edition will also include an exclusive EP from Heavenly Records, a 64-page booklet with brand new essays, 3 ‘Postcards from Summerisle’ and 2 posters of the new and original artwork. 

The film will also be released as a Steelbook and on Digital. Pre-order here.