The Blackcoat's Daughter
The Blackcoat's Daughter is a chilling descent into the unsettling world of supernatural and psychological horror, renowned for its slow-burn tension and intricate, non-linear narrative. This debut from director Osgood Perkins masterfully weaves a tale of isolation, grief, and a harrowing search for connection, challenging viewers to piece together its disturbing truth. It's a film that leaves a lasting impression, revealing its tragic heart long after the credits roll. The film employs a masterful non-linear structure across three timelines, keeping audiences disoriented and engaged until the chilling truth is revealed. It cleverly uses supernatural horror as a 'Trojan Horse' to explore profound themes of isolation, loss, and the desperate human need for belonging. Osgood Perkins' directorial debut garnered critical acclaim for its atmospheric tension, subtle foreshadowing, and genuinely unsettling storytelling.
AI Summary
The Blackcoat's Daughter is a chilling descent into the unsettling world of supernatural and psychological horror, renowned for its slow-burn tension and intricate, non-linear narrative. This debut from director Osgood Perkins masterfully weaves a tale of isolation, grief, and a harrowing search for connection, challenging viewers to piece together its disturbing truth. It's a film that leaves a lasting impression, revealing its tragic heart long after the credits roll.
- The film employs a masterful non-linear structure across three timelines, keeping audiences disoriented and engaged until the chilling truth is revealed.
- It cleverly uses supernatural horror as a 'Trojan Horse' to explore profound themes of isolation, loss, and the desperate human need for belonging.
- Osgood Perkins' directorial debut garnered critical acclaim for its atmospheric tension, subtle foreshadowing, and genuinely unsettling storytelling.
Unraveling a Chilling Debut
Originally known as 'February', The Blackcoat's Daughter emerged as a 2015 supernatural psychological horror film. It marked the impressive feature-length directorial debut of Osgood Perkins, son of the legendary Anthony Perkins.
The film features a talented cast, including Emma Roberts, Kiernan Shipka, Lucy Boynton, Lauren Holly, and James Remar. Their performances bring depth to a story that plays on primal fears and deep-seated anxieties.
It first captivated audiences at the 2015 Toronto International Film Festival, eventually receiving a video-on-demand release in early 2017, followed by a limited theatrical run in the United States. Critics widely praised its unique vision and unsettling atmosphere.
A Labyrinthine Plot
The narrative of The Blackcoat's Daughter is ingeniously structured, split into three distinct, yet interwoven, timelines. These storylines — 'Rose', 'Joan', and 'Kat' — gradually converge, with the 'Kat' timeline ultimately forming the film's terrifying climax.
The Bramford Academy
Our story begins in February at the isolated Bramford Academy, a Catholic boarding school in upstate New York. Most students have departed for winter break, leaving behind just two: freshman Kat and senior Rose.
Rose, suspecting she might be pregnant, has deliberately misled her parents about the break dates to buy herself time. Meanwhile, Kat is troubled by a vivid, premonitory dream foreshadowing her parents' death in a car crash. A sense of unease settles over the desolate school.
That night, Rose leaves to meet her boyfriend. While she's gone, Kat receives a mysterious phone call. Upon Rose's return, she finds Kat in the boiler room, repeatedly prostrating herself before the furnace, speaking cryptically about her parents being dead — a profoundly disturbing encounter.
Later, in her bed, Kat's body begins to convulse and contort. The next morning, she behaves erratically at breakfast with the nuns and Rose, vomiting and spewing curses, signaling a dark transformation within her.
The nuns receive an alarming phone call confirming Kat's parents are indeed dead. Soon after, Headmaster Gordon arrives with a policeman. As they enter the nuns' cabin, a chilling bloodstain is visible on the wall, hinting at a horrifying discovery off-screen.
The Wanderer: Joan's Journey
Intercut with the events at Bramford, we meet a young woman named Joan, who has recently escaped a mental institution. At a bus stop, she accepts a ride from a friendly older couple, Bill and Linda, revealing a hidden scar on her shoulder during a shower — a past injury from a police shooting.
Bill confides in Joan that he picked her up because she strongly reminded him of his deceased daughter, Rose. He reveals that the next day marks the ninth anniversary of Rose's death, a day when he and Linda always visit Bramford.
Joan recognizes the name 'Rose' with a suppressed laugh, retreating to the bathroom. It's then revealed that 'Joan' is a stolen identity; the real Joan was a woman she murdered, further deepening the film's intricate web of deception and violence.
Kat's Dark Pact
During the days leading up to winter break, Kat had been in communication with a sinister entity. Depicted as a horned shadow and a gravelly voice on the phone, this entity forewarned her of her parents' death and commanded her to commit unspeakable acts.
Following the tragic news of her parents' demise, Kat unleashed her rage. She brutally murdered both nuns, then pursued Rose, who had just confirmed she wasn't pregnant. Kat stabbed Rose to death, gruesomely severing her head.
Headmaster Gordon and the policeman discovered Kat back in the boiler room, prostrating herself, with the severed heads of her three victims beside her. Exclaiming, 'Hail Satan!', she was shot in the shoulder by the policeman — a shot that directly connects to Joan's scar, revealing Kat and Joan are indeed the same person.
Kat was subsequently detained in a mental hospital, where a priest attempted an exorcism. The ritual appeared successful, yet as the demon vanished, a heartbroken Kat begged it not to leave her, revealing her profound attachment to the entity.
Nine years later, the woman we know as 'Joan' — who is in fact Kat — murders Bill and Linda when they stop in Bramford. Driven by a desperate need, she brings their severed heads to the academy's boiler room, attempting to re-summon the demon she had lost.
However, she finds the boiler cold and disused, signifying the demon is truly gone, perhaps never to return. Now completely alone and stripped of her dark companion, Kat breaks down crying in the middle of the road, a truly tragic figure utterly consumed by her loss.
Behind the Camera
Though 'I Am the Pretty Thing That Lives in the House' was released earlier, 'The Blackcoat's Daughter' was Osgood Perkins' true directorial debut. Perkins revealed his primary intention was to tell a 'sad story' about loss, cleverly using the horror and possession subgenres as a 'Trojan Horse' to deliver his profound narrative.
Financing the film proved exceptionally difficult due to a perceived 'slumping' horror market at the time, delaying production until 2015. Despite enthusiasm for the script, many believed such an unconventional film would be impossible to make.
Principal photography commenced in February 2015 in Kemptville, Ontario, Canada. Further adding to the film's unique atmosphere, Perkins' brother, singer-songwriter Elvis Perkins, composed the score — a first for him, describing the medium as wonderfully confining yet creatively challenging.
Critical Acclaim
The film premiered to a warm reception at the 2015 Toronto International Film Festival. Distribution rights were quickly snapped up by A24 and DirecTV Cinema in the US, while ABMO Films handled Canadian distribution.
Despite some release date shuffles and a retitling from 'February' to 'The Blackcoat's Daughter' for most markets, the film eventually found its audience. Notably, it retained its original title 'February' when released on Netflix UK.
Critics generally lauded the film, with Rotten Tomatoes reporting an impressive 87% approval rating. The consensus praised its slow-building, atmospheric quality and how it skillfully avoided common 'girls-in-peril' clichés.
On Metacritic, it achieved a score of 68 out of 100, indicating 'generally favorable reviews.' Its distinctive approach set it apart in the horror genre.
Leslie Felperin of The Hollywood Reporter advised viewers to 'remain as ignorant as possible about what happens' for a first viewing, highlighting the film's rewarding rewatchability through its subtle, 'blink-and-you'll-miss-them' details.
Joe Leydon of Variety commended Perkins for playing fair, noting that 'every twist was dutifully presaged, and the final reveal was hidden in plain sight all along.' The New York Times even included it in their 2020 list of '13 Scariest Horror Movies to Watch,' solidifying its place as a modern genre gem.
Article
The Blackcoat's Daughter
The Blackcoat's Daughter (also known as February) is a 2015 supernatural psychological horror film written and directed by Osgood Perkins in his feature-length directorial debut. The film stars Emma Roberts, Kiernan Shipka, Lucy Boynton, Lauren Holly, and James Remar.
The film premiered at the 2015 Toronto International Film Festival before it was released through video-on-demand on February 16, 2017, by DirecTV Cinema. It was released theatrically in the United States on March 31, 2017, by A24. The film received generally positive reviews.
Plot
The Blackcoat's Daughter
The plot is split into three timelines. The first two, "Rose" and "Joan", intercut between each other before a third timeline, "Kat", is introduced and comprises the film's climax.
In February, students at the prestigious Bramford Academy, a Catholic boarding school in upstate New York, are about to be picked up by their parents for a week-long break. Kat, a freshman, and Rose, a senior student, are left behind. Suspecting she may be pregnant, Rose has lied to her parents about the vacation dates to buy time. Kat has a premonitory dream of her parents dying in a car crash. That night, Rose departs with her boyfriend to inform him of the pregnancy. Meanwhile, Kat receives a call. Hours later, Rose returns and finds Kat in the boiler room, repeatedly prostrating before the boiler. Kat speaks cryptically and claims her parents are dead, disturbing Rose. After Rose leaves, Kat's body starts convulsing and contorting in bed.
The next morning, Rose and a sickly-looking Kat join the nuns for breakfast, where Kat behaves erratically, vomits, and curses at the nuns. After receiving an alarming phone call, the nuns order Rose to shovel the driveway "down to the earth" for the abrupt return of Headmaster Gordon. Gordon arrives with a policeman; as they enter the nuns' cabin, a bloodstain is seen on the wall, and the men react with shock to something offscreen.
A young woman, Joan, arrives at a bus stop after escaping a mental institution. A friendly older man named Bill offers her a ride with him and his wife Linda. They stop at a motel and Joan showers, revealing a scar on her shoulder. A flashback shows her being shot by a policeman. Bill tells Joan that he picked her up because she reminded him of his deceased daughter, revealed to be Rose – the next day will be the ninth anniversary of Rose's death, on which her parents visit Bramford every year. Joan recognizes Rose's name and retreats to the bathroom, where she suppresses laughter. Joan is revealed to be a fake name; the real Joan was a woman she killed to steal her ID.
During the days leading up to winter break, Kat is in contact with an entity depicted alternately as a horned shadow and a gravelly voice on the phone. This entity informs her of her parents' impending death, and instructs her to kill everyone. After breakfast, the nuns receive a phone call informing them that Kat's parents have died. After Rose is dismissed to shovel the driveway, Kat murders both nuns. She pursues Rose; shortly after Rose has her period, confirming she is not pregnant, Kat stabs her to death and beheads her. Gordon and the policeman find Kat prostrating in front of the boiler again, with the severed heads of her three victims next to her. She exclaims "Hail Satan!" before the policeman shoots her in the shoulder, revealing that "Joan" is Kat. Kat is detained in a mental hospital, where a priest performs an exorcism. The exorcism is seemingly successful, but Kat begs the demon not to leave her before it vanishes.
"Joan", the Kat of nine years later, murders Bill and Linda when they pull over in Bramford. She beheads their corpses and brings the heads to the boiler room of the academy, seemingly in an effort to summon the demon she lost years ago. However, she finds the boiler cold and unused. Now completely alone, she leaves the academy and breaks down crying in the middle of the road.
Production
The Blackcoat's Daughter
Although the film only received a wide release after I Am the Pretty Thing That Lives in the House was shown, The Blackcoat's Daughter was filmed first, making it Perkins' debut film. Perkins noted that he intended to "tell a sad story" about loss, and used the horror genre and the possession subgenre, as a "Trojan Horse". Perkins noted that he could have made the film without this but felt its omission would have resulted in the audience's engagement with the story being different. Financing the film was particularly difficult, and Perkins attributed this to the "slumping" success of the horror genre, since the script was completed in 2012 but filming did not begin until 2015. Even though those to whom Perkins showed the script were enthusiastic about it, many of them believed that it would be impossible to make. After the casting of Kiernan Shipka and Emma Roberts was announced in April 2014 and the casting of Lucy Boynton, Lauren Holly, and James Remar was announced in February 2015, production began.
Principal photography for the film began in February 2015 in Kemptville, Ontario, Canada and the film's soundtrack was scored by Perkins' brother, Elvis Perkins, a singer-songwriter. Perkins had never written a film score before, and he found the medium confining, noting that the restrictions "almost killed him".
Release
The Blackcoat's Daughter
The film had its premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 12, 2015. Shortly after, A24 and DirecTV Cinema acquired US distribution rights to the film. The Canadian distribution rights were acquired by ABMO Films. The film had its US premiere at the Fantastic Fest on September 24, 2015. In November 2015, it was announced that the film had sold to various international territories at the AFM, including the United Kingdom, France, Australia, New Zealand, Latin America, Poland, the Philippines, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam and the Middle East. The film was retitled from February to The Blackcoat's Daughter. The film was scheduled to be released by DirecTV Cinema on July 14, 2016. This was pushed back to August 25, 2016, before opening in a limited release on September 30. The film was then pulled from the schedule and pushed back to an undisclosed 2017 date. It was released on February 16, 2017, through DirecTV Cinema, before being released on March 31, 2017, in a limited release and through video on demand by A24. On Netflix UK, it was released under the title February.
Reception
The Blackcoat's Daughter
On Rotten Tomatoes the film has an approval rating of 77%, based on 77 reviews, with an average rating of 6.6/10, and the site's consensus of the film reads: "Slow-building and atmospheric, The Blackcoat's Daughter resists girls-in-peril clichés in a supernatural thriller that serves as a strong calling card for debuting writer-director Oz Perkins." On Metacritic, the film has a score of 68 out of 100, based on reviews from 17 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".
Leslie Felperin of The Hollywood Reporter wrote: "As with so many of the best mystery-horror films, the optimum way to enjoy a first viewing of this is try to remain as ignorant as possible about what happens. That said, it also brims with tiny, blink-and-you'll-miss-them details that will repay repeat viewings." Joe Leydon of Variety magazine wrote: "In addition to everything else he does right in The Blackcoat's Daughter, Perkins plays fair: When you replay the movie in your mind after the final fadeout, you realize that every twist was dutifully presaged, and the final reveal was hidden in plain sight all along." It was included in The New York Times' list of "13 Scariest Horror Movies to Watch" in 2020.