I’m calling this film February because the Blackcoat’s Daughter is just a silly title.I’ve said so many times before and I’m pretty sure you’ll agree, comedy and horror are probably the two most divisive genres we have. What makes you laugh or what scares you is such a personal affair that, to me at least, most films in these genres either work or they don’t. Where horror is concerned, what unnerves me most is seeing people lose control and being aware of it. To me, the best of these films reside in an area that comes too close to reality. If you’ve ever seen someone in the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease, I’m sure you’ll understand what I’m talking about. If a filmmaker manages to capture that fear and transport it to a horror story, they always get under my skin.I’m not saying Oz Perkins’ film is solely about that, but it certainly shows us a character that seems to exist simultaneously in our reality and someplace else, somewhere dark. All credit to an eerie and unnerving performance from Kiernan Shipka. She lures you in with her distant stares, making you wonder what exactly it is she is seeing. Through Lucy Boynton’s character we experience her unnerving loss of control and this works extremely well. Perkins knows exactly when to speed up, when to slow down, when to confront and when to obfuscate. And he knows how to get brilliant performances out of his actors.This is all well and good, but what makes February stand out is the narrative structure. For three quarters of its running time you will not know who is who and, more importantly, when. February is more a mystery film with horror elements than anything else, making it a truly captivating experience as it is alternatively frightening and intriguing always urging you on to find out what exactly is going on despite ghouls and goblins that may be lurking around the corner.Visually excellent, but really distinguishing itself in an at points aural cacophony, February assaults all senses and appeals to them as well. Throw in an appearance by the outstanding James Remar in a beautifully subtle performance and you’re settled. This is a faith renewer for any horror fan. They’re still able to make good, nay, great ones.
