In the opening scene of documentary film Children of The Wicker Man, we see one of Robin Hardy’s sons taking receipt of some of his late father’s possessions – notably reels of film, papers and production notes related to the 1973 film. It’s this which prompts Justin to reach out to some of Hardy’s other children – namely his half-brother, Dominic, and provides the inspiration for a film of their own.
Even knowing nothing about the rather tortured background of The Wicker Man, the fact that Justin opens by describing an array of, if not quite alienated half-siblings, then certainly a number of children from broken Hardy-adjacent families suggests an unhappy dynamic; as the film unfolds, that turns out to be all too true. Where film fans may revel in Robin Hardy’s prowess as the director of what turned out to be a seminal British horror film (but could have sunk without trace – see below), for his sons, the film felt like an almighty obstacle in their relationship with their father. Making this documentary sees them trying – and, to an extent, justifiably failing – to approach the topic of The Wicker Man anew as disinterested adults, not children. The documentary is a balancing act, then: in some respects we have two filmmakers us through the Wicker Man project in as neutral a way as possible, yet in some ways, the same filmmakers here allow themselves to give in to the ire their father’s film caused them as they grew up. We have the usual run of interviews, production notes, photographs and anecdotes you might expect from a ‘Making of’ type project, but behind all of this is something else entirely – a kind of grieving.
Whilst the two men find some kind of peace with their subject matter as their study unfolds, it’s fair to say that this is no hagiography. Children of The Wicker Man is a rather unflinching look at Robin Hardy the man; here’s a man who let his wife sink all of her money into his first feature-film project (he had been in advertising), before walking away, leaving her to raise his children on her own, because her addiction struggles were unsafe for him. There’s a suggestion of similar things happening elsewhere in his life, though details are understandably less forthcoming where those children aren’t so directly involved in the documentary. Of course, there’s a school of thought which suggests that great art excuses poor personal behaviour; from the perspective of friends and family, that no doubt always feels like bollocks. Perhaps it should do; it certainly colours things here, and this film never feels like a happy passion project, more like a purging of what went on during the making of The Wicker Man once and for all. There’s a lot in here, too: it meanders as it goes, but you retain the sense that panic, uncertainty and conspiring events really hampered the making of the film, and made for an unhappy experience for pretty much everyone involved.
Seeing original scripts, lists of cuts, candid photos – all of this is very interesting, and it’s an opportunity to see aspects of the film which would otherwise go unseen. If it needs saying, it’s probably more the completists, than just passing fans, who would relish the level of detail on offer here, as we get right down to the minutiae, glimpsing all of the feuds, rumours and reasons this film very nearly never got finished at all. Children of The Wicker Man is thorough, if not lavish: its blended visual style goes from talking heads to on-screen text and sketches, some of which are, arguably, more irritating than enlightening (big crosses appearing through pictures of rejected actors’ faces, for example, it a bit unnecessary). There are a few boom mike issues, and as ever the division of the film into ‘Acts’ doesn’t really achieve much, but this is all just window dressing, really. The film is at its best when it gets to the heart of the matter: the unique perspective of the Hardy family.
Considered on the whole, Children of The Wicker Man provides a wealth of context (and, by the by, helps to excuse the underwhelming Wicker Tree, without simply excoriating it). It also manages to end on a fairly obliging note, mentioning Robin Hardy’s late-in-life reappearance and celebration, with Justin and Dominic now seeing The Wicker Man not just as “that fucking film”, but as a unique and brilliant narrative film – even if it’s still difficult. And as much as Children of The Wicker Man charts a deeply personal journey, the film’s title could be construed as a metaphor for the film’s ongoing legacy and its impact on a range of people, not just Robin Hardy’s sons. However, at the end of the documentary, we see it as a reclamation of their life extending beyond the grasp of The Wicker Man, as well as a guarded celebration of it.
Children of The Wicker Man (2024) will be released by Severin Films on 30th June 2026.