by Victoria Potenza, Staff Writer

I am back to report on Final Girls Berlin Film Festival shorts blocks. These blocks have become one of my favorite aspects of the festival. They are so well curated and there are a variety of voices from all over the world.This year the festival programmed eight shorts blocks with a variety of horror themes. Several of the blocks were inspired by the seven deadly sins (Envy, Gluttony, Wrath) while others explored specific subgenres of horror (medical, and queer horror). I watched three of the blocks including Envy, Medical Horror, and Queer Horror. All of these blocks had a variety of interesting horror that I truly enjoyed. 

ENVY SHORTS BLOCK 

Hannya (dir. Eva Muñoz) (28:25)

I was not sure I was going to like this as much as I did. In this short, Ana is invited to a party with her new boyfriend and his friends. When she gets there she meets his old roommate, and it is clear that the two have a history. As the night goes on and the drinks continue to flow Ana must contain her jealousy or she might be at risk of unleashing a terrible darkness. I really loved the central performances and how much time is spent hanging out with these characters before the horrors are unleashed. You feel so much for this character who is in a situation where she feels like she has no real support. It is an anxiety inducing experience that has a very satisfying conclusion.

Girls Night In (dir. Alison Roberto) (9:46)

This satirical horror comedy exceeded my expectations. Two girls plan to spend a chill night together; chatting about dating and drinking wine. However the night takes a turn when a masked killer enters the house and the girls try to stay alive. This was thoroughly entertaining. I loved the performances from the two main actresses. Their back and forth is so funny and well written. It explores the idea of, what is the wildest thing these two girls could be doing in a life and death situation. This is a stellar horror comedy and I hope it becomes more available for other folks to check out. 

MEDICAL HORROR SHORTS BLOCK 

Freya (dir. Camille Hollett-French) (16:16)

Freya shook me to my core. It follows a woman going about her days with the help of Freya, a social media app that essentially controls her life. It can order her pizza and wine but it could also report her to the government for exploring blocked content. The film is very much steeped in the real life horrors of womanhood and the lack of choice women could have over their life. As someone living in the United States where increasingly disturbing abortion restrictions are put into affect, the future this film imagines does not feel that imaginary. The central performance is great and it has a bleak ending that has continued to stick with me. 

Hysteria (dir. Jenna Payne) (2:47)

The title alone made me want to watch this short. This is another film steeped in the realities and horrors of women's health. Where doctors do not feel like our allies, even if they are fellow women. Too often women come to explore real physical issues and are told that it is a mental issue and written off as “hysterical”. The film takes those ideas and gives us a character who decides she will not deal with her doctor's judgment any longer. This is a short revenge fantasy that I am sure many other women can appreciate. I hope these ideas continue to be explored in female made horror films. 

QUEER HORROR SHORTS BLOCK 

Gay Teen Werewolf (dir. Andy Rose Fidoten) (14:03)

This was a very fun queer focused werewolf tale. It explores the life of a queer wolf dealing with her multiple identities and how they fit into her life as a teenager in high school. She navigates ex girlfriends, vampire hotties, and I love this look into acceptance, identity, and teenage horniness. It has a great riot grrl soundtrack and equally great look and tone. This had really strong performances from all of its leads and I just really appreciated its look at the messiness of being a teenager. 

Monsterdyke (dir. Kaye Adelaide & Mariel Scammel) (4:26)

Who wouldn’t love Monsterdyke? It feels like a queer take on Frankenstein and I was fully here for it. I love the way the film looked and the creature creation looked so good. In a world where there are so many terrible people to date, why not build your own perfect lover? What else can you really say, I want more Monsterdyke!

So those are my favorite short film watches from the Final Girls Berlin Film Fest. This brings my reviews to a close. As always check out the Final Girls Film Fest website and social media for updates and news on upcoming festivals. If you love women in horror this is surely a festival you need to check out.