The Wicker Man(2006)
2006 · Neil LaBute · 102 min
A sheriff investigating the disappearance of a young girl from a small island discovers there's a larger mystery to solve among the island's secretive, neo-pagan community.
Horror · Mystery · Thriller
4.31.5k votes
TMDB score
2/5
Intensity
1/5
Gore
1/5
Stays with you
How The Wicker Man scares
The Wicker Man plays out like a slow mystery, with a lawman poking around a strange island community and slowly realizing something is very wrong. It leans on unease and weird cult rituals rather than jump scares, but the tension never really builds into true dread, and a few moments tip into so-strange-it's-funny territory instead of scary. There's almost no blood or gore here, and the ending goes for shock over horror. It's a decent watch if you're curious about creepy folk-horror vibes, but don't expect it to actually scare you.
On The Horror Database's 0–5 scare profile, The Wicker Man rates psychological 2/5, visceral 2/5, gore 1/5, lingering effect 1/5, and overall intensity 2/5.
- Psychological: 2 of 5
- Visceral: 2 of 5
- Gore: 1 of 5
- Lingering: 1 of 5
- Intensity: 2 of 5
Slow burn vs Jump scares: 15 of 100 — leans Slow burn
Supernatural vs Real-world: 90 of 100 — leans Real-world
Fun-scary vs Disturbing: 25 of 100 — leans Fun-scary
Intensity over runtime
Shape only — no eventsReveal pacing shapeHide pacing shapeHidden by default — shows where the tension peaks and lets up.
A slow, puzzling investigation that gradually tightens into mounting unease before a frantic, high-pressure final stretch.
Intensity across the runtime, 0 to 100: 1, 1, 2, 2, 2, 3, 3, 3, 3, 4, 5, 5.
How scary is The Wicker Man?
On The Horror Database's 0–5 intensity scale, The Wicker Man rates 2/5 — moderately scary, building its fear through slow-burn dread rather than shocks. It works on both fronts, unsettling the mind while going for the body. Expect it to be restrained with gore and fun-first. The dread fades once the credits roll.
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