The Wicker Man

A new film has pulled into pole position for worst of the year. Say hello to The Wicker Man, a horrible remake of the British cult horror film. It stars the semi-reliable Nicolas Cage and is directed by the often good Neil LaBute, and yet it couldn’t be worse. LaBute, maker of such fine dramas as In the Company of Men and Your Friends and Neighbors, makes it clearly evident that while social horror is his forte, he has no business directing a straightforward horror film. Cage plays a cop called to a mysterious island to search for a missing girl, and it’s some of his worst work yet (worse than Snake Eyes). Ellen Burstyn does an embarrassing turn as the island’s pagan leader. The film ends with a strange festival reminiscent of Burning Man. You’ll laugh out loud for all of the wrong reasons.