Cherry Tree (2015) Reviews

• Under the Cherry Tree are Centipedes

  dcarsonhagy2016-01-14

  This thing opened at "Fright Fest," huh? Wonder who they thought they would scare? "Cherry Tree" is about a coven of witches who gain their powers through the blood of living sacrifices. This blood is poured into the roots of the tree and the powers of this coven grows collectively. Sissy, the Grand-Poobah of this coven, desires a sacrifice, albeit the sacrifice of an infant fathered by that cloven-hoofed bad boy, Satan. Sissy must find someone to bear the child, and she meets a girl whose father is dying of cancer. In a quid pro quo moment, the young girl volunteers with the understanding her father will be cured from his cancer. You would think that plot would make for some entertainment, but you would be wrong. The "Cherry Tree" was just a big old mess from the opening scene until the end. I again was left scratching my old bald head asking way too many questions about such a simple movie. The dialogue was unbelievable, as was the young girl's introduction to the coven. Save the girl who played the innocent, the acting was "adequate." Rated "R" for nudity, simulated sex, language, and violence. Not recommended.

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• Yes, It's a Rosemary's Baby copy, but it's not that bad

  Leofwine_draca2016-05-28

  CHERRY TREE is an Irish horror yarn that comes to us courtesy of the team behind Hammer's WAKE WOOD. I didn't like WAKE WOOD much, finding it an uninspired copy of PET SEMATARY, and CHERRY TREE in turn is a somewhat weak retread of ROSEMARY'S BABY except done on a low budget and lacking that classic film's atmosphere of deceit and dread. Saying that, this isn't a bad film at all. It's quite well made and I appreciate what the filmmakers were trying to do here. A young cast give performances that are pretty good for a genre flick, with lead actress Naomi Battrick very effective as a protagonist who must find reserves of inner strength in order to fight some very literal demons. As a horror film, CHERRY TREE goes for the gross-out approach throughout, with some very gory moments included particularly towards the climax. KILL LIST is another film that this one appears to be indebted to. The director also has an obsession with centipedes, although they're included as random CGI nasties here rather than being truly disgusting as in an '80s Hong Kong horror flick like CENTIPEDE HORROR. Anna Walton (who played the elfin princess in HELLBOY II: THE GOLDEN ARMY) is highly effective in a crucial role.

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• Lazy impersonation of a horror film

  Chromex2015-08-30

  Cherry Tree was the opening film for Frightfest 2015 and I can only conclude the festival organizers wanted to get it out of the way asap. Filmed in Ireland (strangely with very British sounding cast) Cherry Tree attempts to shock the viewer with a coven of nasty witches that are stuck, sort of kinda, under a Cherry Tree plagued with witch friendly centipedes. After occasionally lubricating its roots with the blood of locals boss witch, who teaches hockey to teenage school girls, plans to get one teenage girl pregnant with Satan's brat then kill aforementioned brat under the you know what. Supreme witch powers will then follow. The teenage girl happy obliges in the hope said witch will cure her poor dad's cancer. However, this under age mum quickly finds herself in a heap of 'Rosemary's Baby' trouble. The first real clue as to how bad this film is are the slow motion shots of town landscapes to pad up the feeble script. This is a hodge podge of horror concepts shoe horned into a truly indolent movie. The dialogue is terrible, the character behaviour implausible and the whole story seems to me a lazy supernatural 'giallo' copy. At the Frightfest screening the highlight of the film was the Director, entering just after a hyperactive Jonathan Ross intro, proceeding to catapult a big rubber centipede into the audience. If I new what was to come I'd have left then and there with a favourable impression of said person. This film was like watching George Lucas remake an Argento classic "Attack of the Clones" style. Why this was Frightfest 2015's opener is a real surprise. Maybe someone stumped up the money to make this an event movie for them. Much better films have followed at Frightfest 2015 I'm pleased to say. The only reason I don't rate this 1 is the lead actress (teenage girl) was half decent. However I suspect she wants to forget this as quickly as I do.

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• low on horror, you have to wait until the end

  trashgang2016-07-14

  Strange to see that this flick has a low rating. Of course I can understand it because it's not a typical horror. It's all about witchcraft but it take a while before things go awry. But for me it immediately got my attention from the start. And i agree, you have to wait until the end before the real horror comes in and in between it's a bit of a normal story, maybe the story itself isn't that strong but I still found it worth picking up. In Belgium and the Netherlands this flick is well promotes even as it is a Irish flick because it's been supported by Jan Doense well known in both countries for his addiction to horror. And naturally at film festivals it was programmed by him. The story is simple, a girl her father is dying but she's been bullied aged 15 and still being a virgin. A new teacher at school watches her closely and brings her into witchcraft. If she gets pregnant then the witch promise her she will heal her father. But there's one thing she must agree, she has to give over the baby to the witch to be offered to the Devil. For the geeks this will be indeed be a no go flick but if you are a newbie then just pick it up. If you are a geek and can stand horrors without to much horror just until the end, pick it up too. Gore 1/5 Nudity 0,5/5 Effects 3/5 Story 3/5 Comedy 0/5

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• Death is the beginning of everything

  nogodnomasters2018-02-06

  The opening monologue describing past folk-lore events clues the viewers that this is going to be a witch-Omen style movie involving a cherry tree and centipedes, the familiar of the devil, and not my cat. The film switches to modern times where Faith (Naomi Battrick) is a 15 year old teased virgin. Her dad (Sam Hazeldine) has leukemia, Brian (Patrick Gibson) is crushing on her and Sissy Young (Anna Walton) is the new field hockey coach who moonlights as a witch in league with the "Lord of the Underworld" as they shy away from the "S" word (Satan). Sissy can cure Faith's dad, but at a price. You got to pay to play. I liked some of the special effects, particularly the ending scenes of Sissy's head. Perhaps it is time for 24 year old Naomi Battrick to stop playing 15 year old girls. In fact all the teens looked older. This was a witch's coven with burlap masks being a fashion option. I never did figure out who had to wear them and why. If you don't like bugs, the centipedes provide a creep factor. A bit formula, but then what horror isn't nowadays. A decent "B" horror rental. Guide: F-word, sex, nudity (Anna Walton, Valerie O'Connor + shower girl)

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