We start by seeing old camcorder footage of two best friends- they laugh and sing into the lens, and vow to remain friends forever, even as the scan lines and snow have already deteriorated the VHS tape. Is this a metaphor for their waning friendship in the ensuing years? Hmmm
Flash forward twelve years: Cecilia (do not call her Sissy these days) and Emma unexpectedly meet in the pharmacy. It’s been years and the encounter is super awkward. During their brief catch-up, we learn that Cecilia (Aisha Dee) has become a Social Media Influencer with 200k followers, while Emma (Hannah Barlow, who also co-directed) is about to get married. In fact, the bachelorette party is this weekend at a stylish, modern country pad – would Cecilia please come along?
And so the reunited friends join several others at the cool crib for a weekend of what will turn out to be fun and games…until the first one gets killed.
We start by seeing old camcorder footage of two best friends- they laugh and sing into the lens, and vow to remain friends forever, even as the scan lines and snow have already deteriorated the VHS tape. Is this a metaphor for their waning friendship in the ensuing years? Hmmm
Flash forward twelve years: Cecilia (do not call her Sissy these days) and Emma unexpectedly meet in the pharmacy. It’s been years and the encounter is super awkward. During their brief catch-up, we learn that Cecilia (Aisha Dee) has become a Social Media Influencer with 200k followers, while Emma (Hannah Barlow, who also co-directed) is about to get married. In fact, the bachelorette party is this weekend at a stylish, modern country pad – would Cecilia please come along?
And so the reunited friends join several others at the cool crib for a weekend of what will turn out to be fun and games…until the first one gets killed.
Oh, and guess who the hostess of this “hens” party is? It’s the deliciously evil Alex (Emily De Margheriti) who, as it turns out, was a ferocious villain who bullied Cecilia (again, do NOT call her Sissy) and ultimately came between the avowed friends for life.
And here is where I’ll stop short, except to say this: you know how in the Netflix series ‘YOU” the guy who is doing all the killing is the guy you root for and identify with? How one murder is an accident but leads to another murder to cover up the accidental one and that leads to…well, you get the idea. One thing leads to another.
And all the while, we are totally on Cecilia’s side. The film goes for high camp at times and has some super graphic practical effects that are just as likely to elicit a chuckle as a shriek or groan.
There are also things to say about the superficiality of social media lives and good LGBTQ+ representation among the cast.
I’ve always been skeptical about so-called Horror Comedies – to me they are either not funny enough or not scary enough. It’s probably because I’ve seen too many bad ones. Sissy saved the genre for me.
Sissy | Some Gore | 3 out of 4 stars | Streaming on Shudder
