For my fellow horror fans out there, these are some of my SXSW Midnighters favorites. From slow-burn psychological thrillers, with occasional jump out of your seat moments, and some laughs here and there, I enjoyed the SXSW selection. Here they are, in no special order.
Gaia
Gaia is dark and gloomy, and leaves you guessing until the very end. A ranger stumbles on a reclusive family while studying the forest. Slowly, she feels unsettled and trapped. I watched Gaia in Afrikaans with English subtitles.
Stuffed
Stuffed, a short film about loneliness, love, and taxidermy, is a unique dark comedy. It’s also a musical, which I didn’t realize beforehand. It felt strangely funny, in a cringe-worthy sort of way. I really like the filmmaker Theo Rhys’ style.
The Feast
A mysterious woman arrives at a dinner party, slowly destroying the guest’s lives one by one. I have a pretty weak stomach for guts and gore, and had to look away a few times, but I enjoyed it overall. I watched The Feast in Welsh, with English subtitles.
Jakob’s Wife
A preachers wife experiences a reawakening, upturning her marriage, after a vampire’s bite. I think I missed some underlying themes and inside jokes, because of my lack of cinema knowledge, so I may rewatch it in the future. Jakob’s Wife is definitely interesting, and combines classic horror with current social movements.
Offseason
A woman returns to her late mother’s island home, looking for answers, after her grave was vandalized. While navigating the island, and realizing that she wasn’t getting anywhere, she tries to leave, but can’t. Offseason was dark and creepy.
The Sound of Violence
The Sound of VIolence is visually unique, unlike any other slasher movie I’d seen before. A woman with synesthesia sees flashes of colors during violent experiences. I don’t usually like slasher films, but if you do, definitely check it out.
If you saw any of these films, let me know your thoughts. Or if you have recommendations, send them my way.
In addition to horror films, I really liked the SXSW documentary selections, like Hysterical and Soy Cubana.
Notes of Currant 