The internet can often prove a blessing and a curse. It can give people the opportunity for reinvention and access to a vast swath of potential new friends. But one of the issues is the tension it can create between our virtual self, carefully crafted by the individual thanks to various tools open to them, and the outside world, where it feels like there is less control and our public persona feels less defined by ourselves. This tension is apparent in the exceptional Sissy.
Sissy, or Cecilia, has left behind a painful childhood of bullying and shaped herself into a self-help influencer. But her past comes crashing back into her life when reunited with a pair of people from her youth, her best friend and her bully. The trio come together for a bachelorette weekend that descends into acts of violence, both verbal and physical.
And Sissy is gloriously violent. As proceedings escalate, the supporting cast begin to be dispatched in wonderfully choreographed set pieces. Some are played for laughs, others come with an emotional impact, with even a few managing both. It all fits within a style from directors Hannah Barlow and Kane Senes that taps into the Instagrammable life we lead. At times Sissy is a beautiful film, thanks to Steve Arnold’s wonderful cinematography. The talent behind the camera will surely bring us outstanding genre delights for long to come.
The ensemble give fascinatingly complex performances, aided by Barlow and Senes’ compelling script. Aisha Dee is remarkable as Cecilia, a sympathetically drawn monster, whose side we are on, even as her pursuit for virtual perfection leads to loss of her humanity in the real world. Hannah Barlow as the long-lost childhood friend is an endearing presence, whilst Lucy Barrett, Yerin Ha and Daniel Monks are great supporting characters. But it is perhaps Emily Margheriti who has the trickiest task, her old school bully softening as the film proceeds and our initial judgment of them muddied as proceedings continue.
Sissy is a wonderful genre piece - a satire on our virtual lives, a powerful, heartfelt character piece, and a brutal, death-filled romp. You will see few better horror works this year and Sissy is a new genre masterpiece.
Sissy, or Cecilia, has left behind a painful childhood of bullying and shaped herself into a self-help influencer. But her past comes crashing back into her life when reunited with a pair of people from her youth, her best friend and her bully. The trio come together for a bachelorette weekend that descends into acts of violence, both verbal and physical.
And Sissy is gloriously violent. As proceedings escalate, the supporting cast begin to be dispatched in wonderfully choreographed set pieces. Some are played for laughs, others come with an emotional impact, with even a few managing both. It all fits within a style from directors Hannah Barlow and Kane Senes that taps into the Instagrammable life we lead. At times Sissy is a beautiful film, thanks to Steve Arnold’s wonderful cinematography. The talent behind the camera will surely bring us outstanding genre delights for long to come.
The ensemble give fascinatingly complex performances, aided by Barlow and Senes’ compelling script. Aisha Dee is remarkable as Cecilia, a sympathetically drawn monster, whose side we are on, even as her pursuit for virtual perfection leads to loss of her humanity in the real world. Hannah Barlow as the long-lost childhood friend is an endearing presence, whilst Lucy Barrett, Yerin Ha and Daniel Monks are great supporting characters. But it is perhaps Emily Margheriti who has the trickiest task, her old school bully softening as the film proceeds and our initial judgment of them muddied as proceedings continue.
Sissy is a wonderful genre piece - a satire on our virtual lives, a powerful, heartfelt character piece, and a brutal, death-filled romp. You will see few better horror works this year and Sissy is a new genre masterpiece.