The Blackcoat’s Daughter is a 2017 supernatural psychological horror film directed by Oz Perkins, starring Emma Roberts, Lucy Boynton, Kiernan Shipka, James Remar, and Lauren Holly.   The film follows two girls, Kat (Kiernan Shipka) and Rose (Lucy Boynton), must battle a mysterious evil force when they get left behind at their boarding school over winter break.

Positives:

• Good performances
• Suspenseful music
• Gore sequences are done well

Negatives:

• Very slow pace
• Characters are not memorable
• Music is overly done
• Predictable plot

Plot: During the dead of winter, a troubled young woman named Joan (Emma Roberts) embarks on a mysterious journey to an isolated prep school where two stranded students, Kat (Kiernan Shipka) and Rose (Lucy Boynton), face a  sinister threat from an unseen force.  At a certain point, the film becomes horribly predictable.  When people are killed, it isn’t surprising whatsoever.  Now, the biggest problem of the story is how the build up to the twist goes.  Is it the psychological aspect that makes this movie a horror? Or is it the supernatural?  Because of this confusion, I can’t help but say that the story, for as interesting as it was to a certain extent, is just bare bones. (2 out of 5)

Characters:  The main characters are Kat (Kiernan Shipka), Rose (Lucy Boynton), and Joan (Emma Roberts).  And two of these characters are just bat shit crazy…cough, cough…Kat and Joan. Hell, Rose blocked the door after Kat started speaking stupid.  I liked her character initially but as the movie progressed she just became ridiculous.  Even psychotic. It’s no surprise when she starts killing people.  A lot of the supporting characters also feel just as weird.  Like they’re all suffering from traumatic events, like they’re all haunted.  Bill (James Remar) is probably the most standout character, even the most likable. (2 out of 5)

Cast:  The performances are pretty decent but nothing really memorable.  Now that’s not to say that it’s bad, just nothing spectacular.  Shipka does a great job of acting straight up crazy, definitely sold the role. Will not be inviting her out anytime soon.  The cast includes Emma Roberts, Lucy Boynton, Lauren Holly, and James Remar. (3 out of 5)

Visuals:  It is a pretty good looking movie, shot really well with some really good angles and a good focus on the characters. The death sequences are shot really well and are not overly bloody. (3 out of 5)

Score:  In terms of the music, it’s a bit of a mixed bag.  Some scenes are silent allowing for dialogue between the characters while others maintain a high level of suspense though sometimes it feels out of place.  Or way too intense for the most trivial scenes. (2 out of 5)

Writing:  There are these long drawn out moments where the movie is suppose to build suspense and to a point it works.  However, are they really necessary.  The scene with Joan and Bill talking in the hotel room is an example.  Most of the scenes where characters are talking do feel awkward.  Also, the film doesn’t know what it wants to be.  It is a thriller but for the supernatural elements, the film doesn’t really support it.  Sure, there is the black silhouette running around but it could’ve been explained better as a figment of her imagination.  But what would cause her to see it?  The movie never explains. And why is she drawn to the demonic figure?  Her knowing her parents were going to die had little effect on the movie. Oz Perkins does a good enough job with the film but the same problems I had with I Am the Pretty Thing That Lives in the House.

Now, one of my favorite sequences in the movie is when Rose is the bathroom and she hears someone come into the bathroom but then leaves.  She walks out into a dark corridor and this is where it seems like she actually notices that she is in a dark and creepy hallway by herself.  Very tense scene, especially considering how violently it ends.  Also, another good thing about the writing is how it is jumps between the past and the present so seamlessly without giving away the twist. (2 out of 5)

The Verdict:  In the end, The Blackcoat’s Daughter is an interesting premise but terribly executed.  Sure, the performances are decent enough, seamless transitions between story is good, and the gore is handled well.  But the film suffers from lackluster characters, uncompelling story, a shaky script, and an over use of music.  The Blackcoat’s Daughter gets 2 out of 5.