The Wicker Man (2006) with Sequoia Simone

·1 hr 8 min·5 clips

Nicolas Cage recoils from a hang-up phone call as if shot, setting the tone for his unhinged performance.

The episode begins with hosts Rebecca Reeds and Craig Fay introducing guest Sequoia Simone, host of 'But Make It Scary,' for a discussion of 'The Wicker Man' (2006) during Kinda Scary Movie Month. All three admit it's their first time watching the film. Sequoia shares her evolving relationship with Nicolas Cage's career, from admiration to skepticism and back. The hosts provide a synopsis: Cage plays a cop who receives a letter from an ex-girlfriend about their missing daughter, leading him to a private island inhabited by women. They critique his character's lack of jurisdiction, rude behavior, and incompetence as a detective, noting he never asks follow-up questions or takes notes. The group debates the island women's villainy, led by Sister Summerisle, who orchestrate Cage's arrival to sacrifice him in a wicker man to improve their honey harvest after a bad crop. Sequoia defends the women by comparing them to bees protecting their hive, citing colony collapse disorder. The hosts point out plot holes, like the staged car crash and the bear suit Cage wears during the festival. They analyze Cage's performance as peak over-the-top acting, with specific examples like his reaction to a hang-up phone call. The conversation touches on themes of misogyny, as Cage's character repeatedly calls the women 'bitches.' The episode concludes with the hosts and guest sharing personal 'villain of the week' stories, relating back to the film's themes of authority and absurdity.

As heard by us

A chaotic Wicker Man debate finds ecological stakes inside Nicolas Cage's bee argument.

The Wicker Man turns into a lively test of how far a film can push blame before its supposed villains start to look defensible. Rebecca Reeds and Craig Fay bring Sequoia Simone into a first-time viewing that treats Nicolas Cage's missing-daughter crisis as both a horror setup…

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Why you'd press play

You want Nicolas Cage with the bees suddenly making a disturbingly strong case.

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