Films written and directed by women in the horror genre is so frighteningly rare, it’s truly scary! “XX” features 4 separate short stories to send shivers up your spin and make you jump in your seat. While each film, “The Box,” “The Birthday Cake,” “Don’t Fall,” and “Her Only Living Son,” are all very different, they share one commonality besides the female component—they are simply chilling!
Melanie Lynskey finds a comfortable role as “Mary,” a wealthy, but disorganized mother attempting to put together a birthday party in “The Birthday Party” co-written by Roxanne Benjamin a
nd St. Vincent (Annie Clark) and directed by St.Vincent as well. Mary’s disorganization is the least of her worries when she finds her husband in a state that is less than desirable. The humorous cover up leads to shocking results that would traumatize any child for life. Lynskey, as always, finds just the right tone to convey as she elicits chuckles of disbelief and believe it or not, sympathy, from the viewer.
“The Birthday Party” gets you ready for the rest of the films that have much more disturbing and unnerving situations. While the story “The Box” is by Jack Ketchum, Jovanka Vuckovic is credited with writing the screenplay and directing this film reminiscent of a “Twilight Zone” episode. As an exasperated mother of two typical young kids are riding home on a train from the city, the inquisitive little boy pushes his boundaries by inquiring about the contents of the box in an older man’s hands. His reaction is nothing short of intriguingly shocking. This is the premise that drives the film forward, as the consequences of knowing the contents are dire. Slowly, appetites are lost and frustration is seen with the parents and a shocking and bizarre course of events unfold. The story is truly gripping and disturbing as you want, no, as you need to know what was in that box!
“Don’t Fall” finds that innate fear of the outdoors and taps into your inner-child fears of dead spirits and monsters. Written and directed by Roxanne Benjamin, we find several young friends out in the remote desert just camping and having a good time. The suggestion of ghosts plants the seed of creepiness that blossoms into real fear and danger. You’ll gasp out loud with the classic timing and set up in this good old-fashioned gory fright fest.
If gore doesn’t bother you and g
hosts don’t raise the hair on the back of your neck, wait till you see “Her Only Living Son.” Yes, there is a biblical reference with this and yes, there’s a menacing suggestion of satan. As a mother seems to have been running from an abusive husband and father to her son, she begins to see changes in her boy. He doesn’t seem to be the sweet little guy she thought he was as he’s doing things like pulling fingernails off of other children. Not exactly typical teenage behavior. Bizarrely, the administration doesn’t see anything wrong with that. Her entire world is caving in and somehow she must fight for “her only living son.”
“XX” has it all…horror, gore, satan, but most importantly, it portrays every aspect of what a horror film should have. This strong group of women writers and directors have proven that gender doesn’t matter when it comes to types of filmmaking. If you don’t believe me, see “XX” for yourself. And then I dare you to go camping or not think twice about asking to see what’s inside a present.
3 1/2 Stars out of 4