The 2024 edition of world’s best showcase of new horror, sci-fi, and fantasy directed by women is here! Enjoy these joyously bizarre tales of terror, comedy, and surreal pizza gods. Films directed by Jillian Corsie, Sarah Wisner, Sean Temple, Annie Girard, Diana Wright, Faye Jackson, Sofie Somoroff, Talia Shea Levin, Grace Rex, Kelsey Bollig, Brea Grant.
REVIEW:
The Etheria film Night 2024 runs through August 28th on Shudder. My reviews for each short are below.
TOOTH
Directed by Jillian Corsie (4 min) (Horror/Comedy/Animation) (USA)
Fed up with decades of suffering through the forced perfection of modern beauty standards, a tooth takes matters into its own hands.
REVIEW:
A very funny and very creep mixture of live action and animation of teeth taking revenge for decades of fastidious oral care. The teeth have the oral mimicry of the minions from Despicable Me. Visually they look like pissed off mandrake roots. The torture these teeth deploy will makes you avoid dental floss, toothbrushes, toothpaste and any mint flavored mouthwash for the rest of your life. Short, funny and doesn’t waste your time.. A horror comedy for the ages. An A.
THE THAW
Directed by Sarah Wisner & Sean Temple (16:30 min) (Horror) (USA)
In 19th-century Vermont, a young woman’s parents drink sleeping tea to survive the harsh winter, but an early thaw leads to horrifying results.
REVIEW
An austere black and white drama about a teen living in a backwoods shack and forcing to fend for herself for a winter when a food shortage forces her parents to go into a tea induced hibernation until spring. When the parents unexpectedly revive layers of the father’s hostility towards the daughter are resurrected along with an all consuming hunger. A flawed Shining homage ends the film. A moody and a metaphysical film that ultimately can’t stand the weight of its metaphors. A B.
1 IN THE CHAMBER
Directed by Annie Girard & Diana Wright (7 min) (Action/Comedy) (USA)
When an ambitious assassin is sent to “retire” a fellow agent, she’s shocked to discover her target is pregnant and that the baby-proofing in the room is preventing them from killing each other.
REVIEW
A female spy vs spy comedy that wants to be a twisted Tarantino homage of Kill Bill.. The fight that ensues is a mock allegory of both mother daughter rivalry and a deadly serious argument over parental rearing techniques. The surprise gender reveal at the end is just icing on the cake for all the mania before. A B+.
TEN OF SWORDS
Directed by Faye Jackson (16 min) (Horror/Comedy) (UK)
Jay wakes up dead – murdered – and discovers that everything the agency told him about becoming a zombie was a lie. This revenge is happening.
REVIEW
While basically a satire on soulless, repetitive work and the evils of capitalist structures, it does manage to get in a lot of backstory, emotional depth and some serious philosophical discussions on life and death and the states in between. It’s always twisting the genre, coming up with something new to add to zombie lore. My favorite bit line: How much worse can it get, we’re already dead. The road back to sentient being is full of revolution and all sorts of gangland intrigue. Another classic short that can change the genre. Would love to see a feature version directed by Edgar Wright. An A.
RIDE BABY RIDE
Directed by Sofie Somoroff (7:30 min) (Horror/Fantasy) (USA)
This 1978 Camaro was her dream car. Now, it’s her nightmare.
REVIEW
An effective and creepy version of Christine with a female vengeance twist. Takes the sexual male leering innuendo of the title and rides it to its horror extremes. Nice for what it is, a feminist revenge fantasy. Mostly, a nicely executed well acted student film. A B.
MAKE ME A PIZZA
Directed by Talia Shea Levin (12:30 min) (Fantasy/Comedy) (USA)
A woman tells a pizza delivery guy she can’t pay for the pizza she ordered. But can the sex she offers instead of currency possibly equate to the true value of a pizza?
REVIEW
A food porn satire that turns into a Mukbang experience of eating, fucking. and becoming pizza. Funny for half, overstretched and tedious in the last. I wished I could unsea the last five minutes. A B-.
THE SHADOW WRANGLER
Directed by Grace Rex (13:30 min) (Horror/Fantasy/Comedy) (USA)
When Nan attempts to finish recording the audiobook of a Western erotica novel The Shadow Wrangler, she is interrupted by an unsettling visit from her recent ex and elements of the salacious fantasy she’s voicing.
REVIEW
A total mess of a film that combines Harlequin Western romance, the lonely white female cliché, and horror elements in a sorry mess that attempts to say something on the creative process. Notable for making every wrong creative choice possible. The definition of filmic insanity: doing the same awful mistake over and over again, hoping it will work. A C+.
INKED
Directed by Kelsey Bollig (14:30 min) (Horror) (USA)
Dylan attempts to honor her father’s memory by tattooing his ashes into her skin. However, what was supposed to be a sentimental tribute quickly turns sinister.
REVIEW
All build up and no real payoff . Ashes of serial killer killer inked to skin should yield a massive horror payoff. What happens is just a teaser for a hoped for feature film. Decent enough concept that needs a good ten minutes more to fully form itself. A B.
MLM
Directed by Brea Grant (19 min) (Horror/Comedy) (USA)
When Sarah joins a multi-level marketing company, La La Leggings, she isn’t ready for the horrific consequences of not selling.
REVIEW
A satire on influencer culture and pyramid scheme power selling. The cost of not meeting sales quotas escalating satanic tortures on you and your loved ones. I love the neat twist where the heroines have to watch the sales video in order to escape the axe man. Gets funnier and creepier as it goes along. A B+.
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