Sissy (2022)

The basic premise of the film sounded interesting, and being an Aussie horror, you usually know to expect something a little bit crazy. They don’t do things by halves down under, so you can expect the usual eye watering violence here and there.Unfortunately, if you’re expecting something in the vein of The Loved Ones., Wolf Creek or 100 Bloody Acres, you’re going to be disappointed. While it’s not terrible, it doesn’t quite reach its potential and ends up pretty forgetful and one you’re unlikely to want to see again.Firstly, there isn’t a single character with any redeeming quality, they’re all pretty contemptible human beings and what sympathy you might initially have for the leading lady soon wears off. They’re pretty much all contemptible nasty pieces of work in one way or another.Unfortunately it also suffers from the usual modern “cool to include” plot and character points, seemingly just to tick all of the boxes – “being an influencer is the height of life/success”, a lesbian couple, a gay guy, a comment on white privilege, mental health, talking about “cancelling” someone, females who are just interested in love island “reality” tv etc.If the themes are not important to the story, they just feel trite. While they’re key parts of modern society, it feels like they’ve all been forcefully thrown in for the sake of including them, or because it’s “cool” to do so, not to actually benefit the film. They don’t add anything to the story or the characters.I have no issue with real-life themes and character elements being represented in the things I watch if they feel natural and are key to the character/story, but when they are predictably all chucked in like they were here, it seems like forced, pointless box ticking.By the end of the film it felt like the writer was more interested in including those aspects rather than creating an engrossing story.There’s no real suspense, the events are extremely predictable and the characters are lacking in depth. If you’re looking for a horror, then you’ll probably be disappointed as it felt like more of a drama with a few deaths tacked on.If you’re looking for a horror, give it a miss. If you’re looking for comedy, even dark, there’s none to be found. If you’re looking for a teen-themed drama with social commentary then you might enjoy it.2 stars for decent overall performance from the lead actress and a decent production value.