A sinister, slow-burning delight, The Blackcoat’s Daughter solidifies Oz Perkins as a director capable of true psychological horror—one who, despite some missteps in recent efforts, continues to intrigue me.
‘The Blackcoat’s Daughter’ Movie Review
The Blackcoat’s Daughter (2015) remains Oz Perkins’ best film by a considerable margin. It’s unsettling, mysterious, and deeply restrained in a way that few modern horror films manage to be. While Longlegs attempted a similar eerie, slow-burn approach, The Blackcoat’s Daughter executes its vision with razor-sharp precision, maintaining an indie aesthetic that enhances its creeping dread. Unlike many recent horror films that rely on overt plot twists or exaggerated performances, this one thrives on pure atmosphere, smart craftsmanship, and even smarter performances.
The film follows two students stranded at an all-girls prep school over winter break. Lucy Boynton’s Rose is a senior, seemingly the most grounded character in the story, grappling with a pregnancy scare while reluctantly looking after freshman Kat (Kiernan Shipka). Kat, however, exudes an unshakable unease—she speaks slowly, reacts in a detached manner, and carries an aura of quiet menace. She has recurring nightmares of her parents dying, and as they fail to show up to pick her up, she and Rose are left alone at the eerily empty school. Meanwhile, Joan (Emma Roberts), a troubled young woman with an unclear past, hitchhikes toward the school, her story unfolding in a way that suggests something sinister is at play.
Although The Blackcoat’s Daughter is light on dialogue and sparse in its plot, it masterfully builds tension through a fragmented structure that rewards repeat viewings. Perkins splices together Kat and Rose’s isolated time at the school with Joan’s journey in a way that doesn’t immediately reveal how the two narratives connect. The film isn’t structured around major twists, but its subtle details and eerie revelations accumulate into something deeply unnerving.
Shipka delivers the film’s most striking performance, embodying Kat with a quiet, yet deeply unsettling energy. Her soft-spoken demeanor masks something darker lurking beneath, and every scene she’s in carries an underlying tension. Boynton and Roberts also give strong performances to help round out the cast and keep you engaged throughout the film’s runtime.
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Visually, Perkins’ direction is simultaneously remarkable and stark. His style, which he has tried to refine with his later films, is still at its most effective here—lean, controlled, and dripping with dread. Of all his work, The Blackcoat’s Daughter and Longlegs feel the most thematically connected, though a double feature would likely highlight Longlegs’ weaknesses while reaffirming what makes The Blackcoat’s Daughter so effective. With minimal exposition, Perkins crafts a horror film that feels richer and more unsettling than many of its contemporaries, standing toe-to-toe with some of the best A24 horror films of the past decade.
A sinister, slow-burning delight, The Blackcoat’s Daughter solidifies Oz Perkins as a director capable of true psychological horror—one who, despite some missteps in recent efforts, continues to intrigue me.
Score: 8/10
The Blackcoat’s Daughter (2015)
- Cast: Emma Roberts, Kiernan Shipka, Lucy Boynton, James Remar
- Director: Oz Perkins
- Genre: Horror, Mystery
- Runtime: 93 minutes
- Rated: R
- Release Date: September 24, 2015
