Billie(an amazing Maisie Richardson-Sellers) is dealing with blackouts, vivid nightmares and struggling to keep her memories straight. What could be causing it?
This is a psychological thriller/horror about a gaslighting partner. It has several of the red flags: social isolation, emotional manipulation, bruises that raise eyebrows but are brushed off as nothing. It does a really great job exploring this, and it doesn't have a male partner: sad as it is, it is possible for lesbians to engage in this, there's nothing inherently masculine to it, all it requires is a power imbalance, and here it is based on race, class and wealth. I greatly appreciate that this story is lgbtqia+, because countless members of that and other minorities are told that it can't happen to them, as long as they're avoiding whites and men - while it would be wonderful if that were true, it simply isn't.
The cinematography delivers several striking sequences, including a long take, of the "people move themselves and stuff when the camera is off them" variety. Editing keeps things moving fast without getting flashy and distracting. The first 20 Minutes will have some people frustrated, so if that's you, I urge you to give it just a little more, like, watch the first full half hour. This runs 78 minutes without end credits, and 87 with. In my personal opinion, it is not padded. They clearly took great effort to avoid doing that. However, an argument could definitely be made that it could be at least five minutes shorter and that the reason that it isn't is the expectation for how long a full length movie is.
This features a moderate amount of strong language, non-male gaze erotic sexuality, and drinking, as well as a little physical violence. I recommend this to anyone that finds this appealing. 8/10.
