Written and directed by Hannah Barlow, Kane Senes
Starring Aisha Dee, Hannah Barlow, Emily De Margheriti, Lucy Barrett 
Unrated
Runtime: 102 minutes
Premiered at SXSW 2022

by Victoria Potenza, Staff Writer

As a fan of horror, I love that even the campiest of horror films can have depth in its tone and themes. Slaxx is a great example of this because while it is about possessed-killer jeans, it is also about capitalism, fast fashion, and consumerism. The same can be said for Sissy, a film that is currently making the rounds on the festival circuit. Sissy manages to be a fun, silly, watch that also makes the viewer reflect on our ever changing relationship to technology, friendship, and how we deal with childhood trauma. It also has a retro-neon color palette, dreamy effects, and some unique slasher kills that horror fans are certain to enjoy. 

Sissy is about a popular wellness influencer, Cecilia, (Aisha Dee) who helps her followers use mindfulness techniques to make their lives better. While she has thousands of adoring fans online, her life is a solitary one. She has a chance encounter with Emma (Hannah Barlow) , her grade school best friend that she had a falling out with. Emma invites Cecilia to her bachelorette party and the two bond like they had never been apart. So much so that Emma invited her to celebrate a weekend getaway with her friends. Unfortunately, Emma leaves out that they will be staying with Alex (Emily De Margheriti) , an unpleasant figure from Cecilia’s past. This encounter comes to a head, leaving a bloody body count before the weekend is up.

Over the past few years, I have been on the sidelines watching as one of my younger sisters has become a big name in the influencer/content creator scene. It is surreal at times, but mostly pretty cool to see so many people appreciate her comedic talents. So there was a lot about Sissy that resonated with me. The influencer is still so relatively new that it is a ripe territory for writers and filmmakers. This seems especially true with an ongoing pandemic that has only increased our reliance on connection through a variety of social media platforms. Sissy does an effective job at showing the connective thread between social media, influencer culture, and mental illness. While the campy nature of the film amplifies and exaggerates much of this, it manages to ground these fears and anxieties in the reality we live in. 

Sissy has a tremendous amount of empathy for its leads, as damaged and imperfect as they are. Aisha Dee’s performance as Cecilia is a great example of this. Since we spend most of the film with her, we empathize with all she is struggling with. Being bullied and finding coping mechanisms to deal with past trauma can be a struggle well into adulthood and Dee showcases that while also bringing a bubbly innocence to her character, even when we see that facade begin to crack. Even her antagonist Alex, played by Margheriti, has plenty of depth even though we see her berate Cecilia every chance she gets. It is clear the two cannot see past the hurt they doled out to each other, to recognize what the other must be going through. The two manage to bring so much real emotion to their characters that is an interesting concept to the comedic tones throughout the movie. 

The themes and performances add much to the film, but the overall look and practical effects are also a sight to behold. There are many shots that look like something out of an influencer Instagram post; they are dreamy, perfectly manicured, and try to improve upon reality. In particular there is one shot of the house that makes it look like stars are coming down inside. It is beautiful but it also helps to show how Cecilia views the world through a social media filter as she detaches from the world around her. There are examples of this throughout the film that on the surface are simply something beautiful to look at but add to the themes of the story. There is also a great use of practical effects with the kills throughout Sissy that amplify the over-the-top nature of the film as well as the world of the influencer. 

I always find indie horror so interesting to watch because it seems they are able to take risks with storytelling elements and effects that one might not see in bigger budget films. Ultimately Sissy is a fun horror film with a great crew both in front of and behind the camera. As it makes the festival rounds keep your eye out, and hopefully we will get news of a release soon. Its anxieties and themes are something most viewers can relate to, and it has the 90s bff nostalgia that many of us Millennials miss.