There are horror movies which haunt you days afterward, and make you think. The Blackcoat's Daughter is one of these movies.

This being said, full attention needs to be devoted to this movie to cull the resonance it can offer. Information is offered to the viewer in the first few minutes of the film which, if glossed over, can raise many questions about the plot. In fact, many subtle plot points are offered throughout the film, but if the viewer heeds them, this film can be very rewarding. I have to admit: I did not completely understand what occurred during the movie, and had to result to message boards to gain a full hold of the plot.

So, if this is a complex - even confusing - movie, why am I lauding it? The answer is simple. Even though I did not have a full grasp on the movie, I understood what was occurring, and it was terrifying. Two girls are stuck in an all girls, religious boarding school during a wintry break. As people begin to leave, evil begins to set in. Kiernan Shipka plays Kat, a freshman at the boarding school who looks - and begins to act - like an evil Arya Stark. Rose, the only other girl at the school, is tasked to take care of Kat. This becomes an increasingly difficult venture as Kat descends into insanity, or is possessed by external forces (either case is provided by the movie, part of the fun is deciding for yourself!).

While this plot seems like a cut and dry psychological/demonic horror, I have neglected to mention something about the film. There is a third arc to the story which provides the most riveting element to the movie, and it involves a third girl making a trip to the boarding school. While I won't say too much more about the film, I will say that the connections associated with this third girl are extremely intimate, and what she tries to accomplish while arriving at the boarding school is terrifying, and the source of my ongoing thoughts about the film.

This slow burn horror will not be for everyone. But if you want an open-ended, terrifying, and thought-provoking thriller, The Blackcoat's Daughter is for you.