Apple TV has another breakout hit on its hands. After making a name for itself as the best streaming platform for science fiction, the service is expanding into the horror genre with Widow’s Bay, which features scares and comedy in equal measure thanks to its Babadook-loving showrunner Katie Dippold, a murderers’ row of directors (Hiro Murai, Ti West, Andrew DeYoung, Samuel Donovan), and a stellar cast (Matthew Rhys, Stephen Root). But the breakout star of Widow’s Bay is, without question, Katie O’Flynn.
The British actress, previously best known for her work in the theater, plays the anxious, insecure Patricia, who works as assistant to the town’s bungling mayor (Rhys). O’Flynn brings a subtle but campy performance with incredible physical comedic timing to the role, which is why it’s no surprise that the two highest-rated episodes so far on IMDb are both Patricia-centric stories.
Before Widow’s Bay premiered, I had a chance to interview the show’s trio of stars. And when I asked for their favorite scary movie recommendations, O’Flynn arguably had the best answer. (Root suggested an explicit ’90s B-movie slasher he acted in.) Not only did O’Flynn recommend an all-time classic of the genre, but she picked one that helps explain the many influences that make Widow’s Bay so great — while also providing a potential clue about where the show is ultimately headed.
“I have a soft spot for Wicker Man,” O’Flynn tells Polygon.
O’Flynn is referring to the 1973 film The Wicker Man, which is streaming for free on Tubi. It follows Sergeant Neil Howie (Edward Woodward), who travels to a remote Scottish island town to investigate the case of a missing girl. In his encounters with the locals and their leader Lord Summerisle (Christopher Lee), Howie discovers that the entire town has shifted from Christianity to Celtic paganism, and they may be practicing human sacrifice.
Considered a classic of the folk horror genre, The Wicker Man began with a request from Lee to create a role that would go beyond the more traditional ones he was known for, like 1957’s The Curse of Frankenstein. So screenwriter Anthony Shaffer got to work on a script that would replace supernatural movie monsters with the horrors of paganism.
The human sacrifice concept came from the Gauls (early Celtic tribes in what would eventually become France) as described by Julius Caesar himself in his historical writings, Commentaries on the Gallic War. “Others have figures of vast size, the limbs of which formed of osiers they fill with living men, which being set on fire, the men perish enveloped in the flames,” Caesar wrote.
The Wicker Man is beautifully shot by Robin Hardy, with a naturalistic approach that emphasizes the real-life Scottish towns where he filmed. The movie is also full of convincing performances by various minor characters, building up to what feels like a real town with a spooky secret. The various songs and rituals performed throughout the story give the entire experience a surreal wrinkle.
Nobody breaks into song in Widow’s Bay, but the concept of a spooky island full of odd locals where everything feels a little bit off will feel familiar to The Wicker Man fans. And while Rhys’ mayor isn’t a total outsider, his character was notably born on the mainland before moving to the island, creating a clear parallel with Sergeant Neil Howie. There’s no clear equivalent to Patricia, however; O’Flynn’s character feels like a wholly unique creation.
As for the human sacrifice, well, we’ll just have to wait and see what happens in the final two episodes of Widow’s Bay. But if it turns out that’s where the show is headed, now you know where Dippold likely got the idea.
Widow’s Bay is streaming on Apple TV. The Wicker Man is free with ads on Tubi.