# The Wicker Man

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/folknhell-7405500/the-wicker-man
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/folknhell-7405500/the-wicker-man.md
Podcast: [FolknHell](https://stenobird.com/podcast/folknhell-7405500)
Published: 2026-04-30T10:06:00+00:00
Episode link: https://folknhell.com
Audio file: https://sphinx.acast.com/p/open/s/686d2a6a37e3cb9d349cb1d7/e/69eca79f289eeb2c7befae65/media.mp3
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JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/folknhell-7405500/episodes/the-wicker-man
Duration seconds: 3245

## Resource

Bright sunshine, folk songs and communal sex should not feel this menacing. The Wicker Man still manages the neat trick of looking almost cheerful while marching straight towards one of horror’s most unforgettable endings. A policeman, a pagan island, and one of the most famous endings in horror cinema. Andy, Dave and David head to Summerisle for The Wicker Man and get into its strange musical spell, its battle of belief systems, and the question of whether this is still the defining folk horror film or simply the most iconic. Andy finally gets to bring his favourite film to the table, which means The Wicker Man gets both passionate defence and a bit of healthy resistance. The conversation digs into the film’s odd balancing act as mystery, musical and folk horror landmark, with all three hosts agreeing that its horror is less about constant dread and more about the awful certainty of where it is heading. They get stuck into Sergeant Howie as a devout Christian outsider blundering into a community whose beliefs he cannot understand and cannot tolerate. That clash between rigid authority and pagan ritual becomes the heart of the discussion, alongside the film’s use of masks, fertility rites, sacrifice and isolation. There is also a lively debate over the old folk horror test: threat of the land, isolated community, ancient origins. David pushes back on just how ancient Summerisle’s traditions really are, while Andy and Dave argue that the film still absolutely earns its place as one of the genre’s founding texts. The mood swings between admiration, nerdy detail and a fair bit of filth, with talk of diegetic music, topiary penises, Brit Ekland’s famous not quite Brit Ekland scene, and the various cuts of the film. The final verdict is clear enough though. Whatever quibble…

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## Transcript

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