The Blackcoat’s Daughter – Review

Abstract storytelling opens up the film as we meet Katherine (Shipka), an attendant of New York Catholic Boarding School, Bramford. She is a freshman. On the other end of the school spectrum is Rose (Boynton), who is a senior. She smiles for her photo, and then reconciles with a sudden illness.

There is a class break and most all of the students and staff are leaving campus. Kat’s parents are coming to pick her up eventually, while Rose’s deflective answers seem to reflect her own will be at best a day late, so the girls are left behind with minimal supervision and snowstorms swirling overhead. Everything seems certain to work out well. And then, there is Joan (Roberts) who seems to have just escaped from an asylum.

The Blackcoat’s Daughter has some pretty good actors in its main roles and slowly reveals plot elements from multiple points of view. There are plenty of uncomfortable moments, and bits that go in ways that are not expected. It is a slowish crawl with some drama mixed in, but that also helps for when creepier moments hit.

The script has just enough intrigue to keep viewer attention through its runtime, and fans of bizarre psychological horror thrillers might like this one as it slowly dumps out its pieces. The director kept it in line and it is well presented. Tension seekers will be well rewarded and it is a bit of a psychological crawl. It may not be mind blowing, but it does its thing.

The original title for this film was February, which is a bit more solid in my opinion.