Movie Review: Cherry Tree

By Tim Murr

The weight of the world is on the shoulders of 15-year-old Faith. She’s forced to go to school and act like everything’s normal while her father is dying of leukemia. Faith rages at the unfairness and hopelessness of it all until her new field hockey coach, Sissy, approaches her with an offer to cure her father, using intimate knowledge of ancient witchcraft. In exchange, Faith only has to have a baby for Sissy.

These sort of things always work out, right?

Cherry Tree is moody and atmospheric, shot in a beautiful Irish town which helps to give it an authentic folk horror feel, while still being quite modern.

After a solid opening and some well-placed exposition, Cherry Tree descends into a slow burn as Faith comes to terms with the task at hand and all the consequences rain down on her. Most of the most harrowing moments of gore and violence are held for the second half of the film and they’re worth the wait. If there was CGI used, I couldn’t tell. Everything looked like practical effects that were well executed. During the climax, there was one bit in particular that even reminded me of Clive Barker’s work.

The only real complaint I have against Cherry Tree is that it would probably have worked better as a TV mini series. Besides little flaws here and there that are forgivable, the end almost feels rushed after such a solid set up. By the time the baby is coming we know Faith’s world intimately. When the shit hits the fan, what we see is satisfying and entertaining. Still, I couldn’t help feeling like we needed more. The movie was just getting started at that point.

That said, Cherry Tree is still a cool folk horror film with lots to love. Fans of Wicker Man and Lord of Tears should take note. Director David Keating knows how to shoot a beautiful looking film. Star Naomi Battrick as Faith is damn good. Anna Walton as Sissy is a great villain; rather than cackling and maniacal, she’s cool and detached, like a cat that already ate the canary. Her delightful cruelty might be the film’s strongest asset.

Cherry Tree will be in theaters and on VOD on January 8 from Dark Sky Films.