The Blackcoat's Daughter (2015) ***1/2

The Blackcoat's Daughter (2015) is a very good slow burn debut from Oz Perkins. The visual style is fairly simple and the performances largely subtle (Kiernan Shipka does commendably creepy work). While the dialogue is sparse, and the action almost nonexistent, the atmosphere is heavy and the score unsettling. The February (the film's original title) setting provides the perfect frigid backdrop to the tension of the piece and the disturbing events contained within.

The mood of the film reminds me of another, too little talked about, horror film—Carnival Of Souls (1962). While that film was shot in black and white, Blackcoat has an almost monochromatic color palette and it's one of those films that could work just as well in B&W, based on the strength of its craft. It's a bit of an "art film", if you will, so it may not be for everyone, but it's definitely for me.

In my opinion, it's best to go in as blind on this one, if possible. A few story beats keep me from giving the film a 4 star rating but it still holds up very well on a second viewing. With mystery, isolation and dread to spare, The Blackcoat's Daughter will leave you feeling hopeless and vulnerable—the mark of a great horror film.