Cherry Tree (2015) - Movie Review

What if I told you there was an erotic, witch thriller that scored 4.5 on IMDB?

Not shocking right?

Well, what if I told you that it was a stone’s throw from being an 8?

Intrigued?

Let’s discuss.

Cherry Tree is a 2015 horror movie brought to us by director David Keating and Brendan McCarthy. Unless you're a horror-lifer like me, I doubt you recognize either of those names. With Keating, I couldn’t really blame you. His career has mostly been on crew and second unit, however that doesn’t mean he isn’t a skilled director. His previous film, 2009’s Wake Wood, is an absolute hidden gem, no matter what its IMDB score reflects. McCarthy has been a constant figure in independent horror, but I recognize him more as a producer of some of my favorite European Indies like 2014’s Let Us Prey, 2015’s The Hallow, and 2019’s Vivarium.

Also, I like an underdog story, especially in the film industry—so I was excited to see what the two of them came up with.

I wanted this movie to be a home run, but it’s much more of bunt single.

The film focuses on troubled teen Faith as she navigates the turbulent waters of high school. She’s a talented athlete, does well in her studies, and has a loving father with a successful business. Unfortunately, her lacrosse coach doesn’t see her as anything other than second-string, she’s incessently bullied by the other girls in her class, and her father is dying of late stage Leukemia. With her mother already passed, and with no other family, her father is her entire world. So, when a mysterious new coach shows up to take the reins of the team, she assumes she might end up getting kicked off the team. So when the opposite happens an she ends up in the starting line-up, she couldn’t be happier. Her new coach seems to like her a lot, so much so, she offers to help her father overcome his cancer using a mysterious ritual with a high cost. Faith must choose between doing what is right for the world and what is right for her, but as things develop she finds her life is not what it seemed. Will she choose to save her father and usher in the apocalypse or will she try to banish the evil once and for all. Find out in tonight’s feature, Cherry Tree.

The first forty-five minutes of this film are dynamite.

It’s the rest of the movie that I had a few qualms. Let’s start with some positives.

The cast list is incredible.

I watched this movie due to the presence of Anna Walton. She is one of the most underrated beauties ever to come out of the UK. She has one of the most beautiful faces ever shot on film, in my opinion as a sculptor of faces. But I’m not the only person who thinks so, her angular features led to her largest Hollywood role as Princess Nuala in Hellboy II: The Golden Army. She chews the scenery as the pagan demi-goddess villain of the film. It’s too bad she wasn’t given more to work with, which you’ll find is the cunning theme of the film.

The cast has experienced, passionate actors that are desperately trying to make a better movie than the script allowed.

Naomi Battrick is fantastic in the lead. She’s a talented actress who has gone on to have a prolific career in Television. She plays such a great normal teen. Her facial expressions and non-verbals might be one of the most realistic depictions of an adolescent, but again—Her performance is belitteled by the aimless third act and the hammy last scene of the film.

I could go on about each and every actor in the movie, but the results would be the same. The cast is the #1 reason to watch the film.

The story starts out strong with fantastic Celtic-Pagan imagery and hedge witch grotesquery. The atmosphere is brilliantly executed between the tense musical score and the impeccable lighting and set dressing. The first 45 minutes are tightly directed, well paced, and include some truly disgusting and visceral practical effects. Then, as if they were filming a second unrelated film and decided to just start putting in scenes to fill the runtime.

While the initial portion of the film feels authentic and steeped in ominous witchy vibes, and has a simple but engaging narrative, it all goes haywire near the end of the second act.

The film devolves quickly, going from wanting to emulate Rosemary’s Baby to attempting to shoe-in elements of Hellraiser. The story starts simple and then grows overcomplicated. Characters do things that don’t fit their established personalities or behaviors. Details that need no explanation are over emphasized with exposition, while crucial details that would link story elements are omitted.

It feels like this film was Frankenstein’d in the editing room.

It is such a jarring juxtaposition of pacing and style, with needless money spent on barely visible monster effects. The film would’ve been much stronger if it had remained grounded. However, the filmmakers overreached and ruined the entire experience.

Not gonna lie though, Anna Walton’s metamorphosis into a cenobite is stunning. I really wish she could showcase it in a better movie.

I liked the film for what it is, a trashy B feature, but it was so close to being a cult classic.

Irish film has come a long way since the 2010’s and thank the fates for that.

If you decide you wanna check this one out, it’s free streaming on Shudder, AMC plus, and Prime.