15 scariest summer horror movies of all-time
By Wesley Lara
9. The Wicker Man(1973)
Directed by Robin Hardy
Ari Aster’s Midsommar, set to be released in early July, is brimming with potential thanks to its cult-heavy plot and the use of sunlight to create a feeling of uncanny valley. Many of the ideas that the trailer seems to explore wouldn’t have been possible without the existence of one of the most notorious horror movies centered on cults: Robin Hardy’s The Wicker Man.
No, not the 2006 version with Nicolas Cage and the endless memes about bees, bears, and bicycles. The original with the one and only Christopher Lee.
Before the series became known for the infamous american remake in 2006, The Wicker Man was better known as the controversial British horror classic centered on a police sergeant investigating the disappearance of a little girl in the area of Summerisle, an island off the coast of Scotland, only to find that the inhabitants have abandoned Christianity in favor of following a more Paganistic lifestyle, much to the horror of the devout Christian sergeant.
From there, we get a disturbing and thought-provoking mystery that makes use of its beautiful setting to create a strong contrast to the ugliness of the island’s true intentions, proving that you don’t need the cold and dark of night to make an effective horror experience. Being stuck on an island full of cult members practicing something out of the ordinary is already terrifying enough, but the idea that you may be stuck there forever makes even the sunniest day obsolete.