The Wicker Tree (2011)

by Mark Murton

Directed by: Robin Hardy

This review contains a severe Kitty Carnage Warning!

Cat Out of the Bag Alert! This review contains some spoilers for this film!

Synopsis: Young evangelical pop singer Beth Boothby (Brittania Nicol) and her cowboy boyfriend, Steve (Henry Garrett), leave Texas to preach door-to-door in Scotland. After initially suffering abuse, they are welcomed to Tressock, the border fiefdom of Sir Lachlan Morrison (Graham McTavish) and his wife Delia (Jacqueline Leonard), who plan to make Beth a central part of their traditional May Day celebrations.

Cat Burglars (Scene Stealers): The first appearance of a cat comes when Morrison’s head groom, Lolly (Honeysuckle Weeks), is making love to the local policeman, Orlando (Allesandro Conetta), and a black and white cat jumps down from the back of a chair.

The Wicker Tree - black and white cat climbing down back of chair

The Wicker Tree - black and white cat sitting on chair

This is followed later in the scene by a brief insert of the cat now sitting on the chair reacting to Lolly’s orgasmic cries.

Later in the film, Beth is in her room at Sir Lachlan’s mansion saying her prayers when Morrison’s driver / butler Beame (Clive Russell) arrives with a glass of (drugged) hot milk for her. A black cat runs across the room. Beame attempts to catch the cat, which he calls Magog, but the kitty escapes his grasp. Beth assures him it’s okay as she likes cats.

The Wicker Tree - black cat Magog running across room

After Beame leaves, Magog wastes no time getting on the bedside table and sniffing at the milk. Beth tells him not to touch it as it’s too hot.

The Wicker Tree - black cat Magog sniffing at glass of milk

Ignoring the advice, Magog is soon lapping at the milk.

The Wicker Tree - black cat Magog lapping up glass of milk

Beth is almost asleep when she is partly reawakened by the sound of breaking glass and Magog is shown on the floor, looking guilty, by the broken glass.

The Wicker Tree - black cat Magog standing next to broken glass

Kitty Carnage Warning! The next morning, Delia comes into the room and is shocked to see Beth sleeping peacefully. Glancing down she sees the stiff, lifeless body of Magog (clearly a fake cat). Delia returns to the dining room to show the evidence to her husband before unceremoniously dumping Magog’s stiff body in the waste basket.