Moviefone Editorial

Tag: Natasha Kermani

20 Best Horror Movies From Women This Year

As we head into spooky season, here’s a guide to a wide variety of new horror films from female filmmakers to get your skin crawling. With such a rich crop of startlingly original titles from filmmakers with bold visions and unique points of view, there’s bound to be something for everyone’s particular penchant. Whether you’re looking for mind-blowing body horror, creatures like vampires, witches or ghosts, or just good old fashioned blood, guts and gore – something wicked awaits you.

Bingo Hell – directed by Gigi Saul Guerrero

Adriana Barraza in ‘Bingo Hell’

The fifth installment in the anthology Welcome To The Blumhouse, Gigi Saul Guerrero’s film stars Oscar-nominated actress Adriana Barraza as Lupita, the lynchpin of a group of elderly persons living in the slowly gentrifying enclave known as Oak Springs. When the owner of the community center mysteriously disappears and the bingo hall is taken over by a huckster named Mr. Big (a wonderfully slimy Richard Brake) promising suspiciously big payouts, Lupita rallies the group to fight back. Filmed in New Orleans, Guerrero’s gruesome, wry film is perfect for fans of ‘The Outer Limits.’
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Black as Night – directed by Maritte Lee Go

Asjha Cooper, Frabrizio Guido and Mason Beauchamp in ‘Black As Night’

Written by Sherman Payne, Maritte Lee Go’s addition to Welcome To The Blumhouse follows awkward teenager Shawna (Asjha Cooper) as she tackles body issues and battles vampires over one fateful summer. When her mother falls victim to a gang of vampires preying on the most vulnerable residents of New Orleans – drug addicts and the unhoused struggling after Hurricane Katrina – Shawna vows to not only avenge her death, but put an end to their bloody reign in the Big Easy forever.
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The Blazing World – directed by Carlson Young

Zena Grey, Erika Cimino, Carlson Young, Brianne Tju and Alice Carroll Johnson in ‘The Blazing World’

Loosely inspired by Margaret Cavendish’s 1666 satirical, proto-science fiction of the same name, Carlson Young’s fantasy horror-thriller had its world premiere at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival. Young stars as Margaret Winter, a self-destructive young woman still reeling from her twin sister’s accidental drowning, who returns home only to find herself in an alternate dreamlike dimension where her sister may still be alive. Udo Kier, Dermot Mulroney, Vinessa Shaw round out the film’s impressive cast.
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Bloodthirsty – directed by Amelia Moses

Lauren Beatty in ‘Bloodthirsty’

Co-written by mother-daughter team Wendy Hill-Tout and Lowell Boland, follows indie musician Grey Kessler (Lauren Beatty) as she battles her anxiety while working on her sophomore album. When mysterious producer Vaughn (Greg Bryk) offers his mansion and services, Grey is elated. However as his abusive process pushes her into the darker recesses of her psyche, she finds herself transforming in more ways than one. Shot on location in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, the result is a unique, transfixing, and gore-filled twist on the werewolf genre.
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Candyman – directed by Nia DaCosta

Yahya Abdul-Mateen II in ‘Candyman’

Co-written with Win Rosenfeld and producer Jordan Peele, Nia DaCosta’s entry into the Candyman franchise, first adapted from by Clive Barker’s “The Forbidden” in 1992 by Bernard Rose, picks the story back up twenty-seven years after the events of the first film. Chicago-based visual artist Anthony McCoy (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II) finds himself drawn to the urban myth of Candyman and the Cabrini-Green housing project. Little does he know his connection to the lore runs deeper than just the power of artistic inspiration. Although critical reception was split, after its initial release DaCosta became the first American Black woman director with a number one at the box office.
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Censor – directed by Prano Bailey-Bond

Niamh Algar in ‘Censor’

Set at the height of the Video Nasty controversy in the early 1980s England, Enid Baines (Niamh Algar) works as a censor for the British Board of Film Classification. Years early Enid’s sister went missing and is presumed dead, but when Enid discovers an old exploitation film that parallels the events of her sister’s disappearance, she becomes obsessed with finding the woman she believes may be her long lost sister. Shot on a mixture of 35mm, Super8 and VHS, Bailey-Bond’s film is a visceral and disquieting debut.
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Fear Street Trilogy – directed by Leigh Janiak

Ted Sutherland and Sadie Sink in ‘Fear Street’

Set in 1994, 1978, and 1666 respectively, the trilogy relates the twisted relationship between the communities of Shadyside and Sunnyvale as it unpacks the curse of Sarah Fier, a witch who was burned at the stake. Inspired by the iconic book series by R. L. Stine, director Leigh Janiak infuses a fresh new point of view by centering the films on a queer love story, while mainting plenty of gore.
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Knackningar (Knocking) – directed by Frida Kempff

Cecilia Milocco in ‘Knackningar (Knocking)’

Directed by Frida Kempff and written by Emma Broström, the film stars Cecilia Milocco as a woman named Molly who is recovering from a nervous breakdown after experiencing an extreme loss. After checking out of a psychiatric ward and moving into a new apartment complex, she begins hearing mysterious knocking sounds. Paranoia sets in when no one in the mysterious complex believes her.
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Lucky – directed by Natasha Kermani

Brea Grant in ‘Lucky’

The life of self-help author May (Brea Grant) spirals out of control when she finds herself battling a mysterious faceless assailant night after night. When no one seems to notice or care, she is pushed to her physical and psychological limits as she attempts to rid him from her life for good. Kermani and writer-star Grant’s incisive look at the terror of just being a woman in this world will linger in your mind long after its flashy finale.
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The Manor – directed by Axelle Carolyn

Barbara Hershey in ‘The Manor’

Also part of Welcome To The Blumhouse, writer-director Axelle Carolyn’s gothic thriller stars Barbara Hershey as Judith Albright, a woman who moves to Golden Sun Manor assisted living after suffering a mild stroke. While fighting for her agency, she begins to believe there is a sinister presence haunting the residents of the manor. Teaming up with fellow resident Roland (Bruce Davison), the two attempt to escape their confines rather than succumb to the evil forces surrounding them.
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Martyrs Lane – directed by Ruth Platt

Kiera Thompson in ‘Martyr’s Lane’

While living in a remote vicarage with her parents and surly older sister, 10-year-old Leah (Kiera Thompson) meets a strange girl in tattered angel wings while playing in the woods. Each time the girl visits Leah finds new clues to an old mystery that may cause her family’s fraught dynamics to unravel completely. Although she doesn’t quite stick the landing, with this film writer-director Ruth Platt offers a unique twist on the ghost story genre.
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Phobias – directed by Camilla Belle, Joe Sill, Jess Varley, Chris von Hoffmann, and Maritte Lee Go

Martina García in ‘Phobias’

In this anthology film each director brings a unique phobia to graphic life. Using a frame narrative to connect the five entries, their stories cross paths at a government testing facility where a crazed doctor attempts to weaponize fear. Watch out for a chilling performance from Macy Gray.
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The Power – directed by Corinna Faith

Rose Williams in ‘The Power’

Set during power outages caused by a miners’ strike in early 1970s London, the film centers around Val (Rose Williams), a nurse in training. Spending her first night working in the East London Royal Infirmary in near total darkness, she begins to suspect there is something sinister lurking in the walls.
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Saint Maud – directed by Rose Glass

Jennifer Ehle in ‘Saint Maud’

After a critically praised debut at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2019, writer-director Rose Glass’s psychological horror debut finally hit stateside earlier this year. Having recently converted to Roman Catholicism, hospice nurse Maud forms an unhealthy obsession with a former dancer in her care (Jennifer Ehle). Featuring a shocking finale, Oscar-winner Danny Boyle is among the film’s most ardent supporters, calling it “genuinely unsettling.”
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Slaxx – directed by Elza Kephart

Romane Denis in ‘Slaxx’

In this horror-comedy, co-written with Patricia Gomez, writer-director Elza Kephart tackles the real life horrors caused by fast fashion. As a possessed pair of jeans goes on a killing spree inside a hip boutique overnight, new hire Libby McClean (Romane Denis) fights to escape the denim demon.
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The Stylist – directed by Jill Gevargizian

Najarra Townsend in ‘The Stylist’

One day a lonely hair stylist (Najarra Townsend) who works from home snaps and kills a client (Brea Grant), leading her down a path of continued bloodlust that changes her life forever. Praised for its sharp comedy and stylish kills, Gevargizian’s film is a welcome entry into the slasher canon.
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Titane – directed by Julia Ducournau

Agathe Rousselle in ‘Titane,’ directed by Julia Ducournau

In this Cannes Palme d’Or-winning flick Alexia, a showgirl (Agathe Rousselle) at a motorshow with a titanium plate implanted in her head from a childhood crash, gets impregnated by a Cadillac and goes on a serial killing spree. On the run from the cops, she impersonates the long lost son of a fire chief named Vincent (Vincent Lindon). Equally as tender as it is disgusting, Ducournau is the reigning queen of body horror with heart.
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Things Heard & Seen – directed by Shari Springer Berman and Robert Pulcini

Amanda Seyfried in ‘Things Heard & Seen’

Based on the novel “All Things Cease to Appear” by Elizabeth Brundage, Berman and Pulcini use the philosophies and mysticism of Swedish pluralistic-Christian theologian and scientist Emanuel Swedenborg to put a new spin on the ghost story genre, while also exploring the dynamics of a fatally toxic marriage. The impressive cast includes Amanda Seyfried as Catherine, James Norton, Natalia Dyer, Karen Allen, and F. Murray Abraham.
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Violation – directed by Madeleine Sims-Fewer and Dusty Mancinelli

Madeleine Sims-Fewer in ‘Violation’

Playing both the 2020 Toronto International Film Festival and the 2021 Sundance Film Festival, this Canadian horror-drama follows Miriam (Madeleine Sims-Fewer), a traumatized woman on the edge of divorce who returns home for the first time in years. After her estranged sister and brother-in-law betray her trust, she seeks revenge in a most deranged and vicious manner. Praised for its rage and intensity, Sims-Fewer and Mancinelli’s film is a bold take on the revenge genre.
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Witch Hunt – directed by Elle Callahan

A sink test scene in ‘Witch Hunt’

Set in a version of contemporary America where witches are real and witchcraft is illegal, a teenage girl (Gideon Adlon) faces her own prejudices as her mom (Elizabeth Mitchell) begins offering assistance to the orphaned children of witches seeking asylum in Mexico. While the metaphor isn’t always in the best taste, Callahan’s film continues the tradition of using the witch genre as a mode to express cultural criticism.
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October 11, 2021
Female Filmmakers in Focus: Cinematographer Julia Swain on shooting Natasha Kermani’s ‘Lucky’ & watching Céline Sciamma’s ‘Portrait of a Lady on Fire’

Welcome to Female Filmmakers in Focus, where you will find a recommendation for films directed by women to seek out each week. This week’s new movie is Natasha Kermani’s new horror film ‘Lucky,’ and we have an interview with the film’s cinematographer Julia Swain. Swain also gave us this week’s recommended older film: Céline Sciamma’s ‘Portrait of a Lady on Fire.’

Lucky (2021) – directed by Natasha Kermani, written by Brea Grant

Cinematographer Julia Swain and director Natasha Kermani on the set of ‘Lucky’

Iranian-American filmmaker Natasha Kermani has worked in film television, commercials, and more. Her feature film debut, sci-fi drama ‘Imitation Girl’ premiered at FrightFest 2017. Her second feature ‘Lucky’ premiered to positive reviews at the SXSW film festival in 2020. She is a member of the Los Angeles chapter of Film Fatales, a non profit that serves as an inclusive community of hundreds of women and non-binary directors and advocates for parity in the film industry.

Written by and starring Brea Grant and directed by Natasha Kermani, ‘Lucky’ follows self-help author May (Grant) who finds herself stuck in an unusual situation: every night her suburban home is attacked by a faceless assailant. May is shaken after she and her husband Ted (Dhruv Uday Singh) seem to injure him, only for the attacker to disappear. Their marital bliss then cracks as Ted admits that he has been aware of this nightly threat for a long time. Upset by May’s reaction, Ted takes off, leaving May to face this attacker on her own, night after night. Finding little help in friends, family, or even the police, May slowly realizes this is a battle she must face alone. Anchored by Grant’s strong performance, ‘Lucky’ not only tackles literal violence against women, but also shines a light on the microaggressions that women face every day – including our own failures to help each other when things get particularly rough. ‘Lucky’ is available on Shudder.

Cinematographer Julia Swain has an MFA from UCLA and has been in love with shooting films since she was a kid, using her father’s VHS camera. She spoke a bit about her work in the industry at large and on ‘Lucky’ in particular.

Moviefone: Did you have any mentors in the industry?
Julia Swain: I had a really good mentor who stuck with me: Johnny Simmons, ASC. He taught at UCLA an advanced cinematography class, and he has sort of helped guide me through my career. He is someone I can ask questions about anything and everything. Others like Quyen Tran (‘Palm Springs’) and Natasha Braier (‘Honey Boy’) have also been so generous with their knowledge and allowed me to also watch them work.

MF: How did you first get involved with ‘Lucky’?
JS: ‘Lucky’ was brought to me by Natasha (Kermani). Natasha and I had done short form projects together like commercials. We really wanted to do something narrative, so she brought me in to meet the producers and Brea (Grant) and give my thoughts on the script visually. I pitched my interpretation and we hit it off.

MF: What were your visual references on the film?
JS: We really tried to create something of our own and not go after the “look” of another film. We knew we’d have a lot of darkness and wanted really wonderful color contrast, which I think we achieved. There was some of ‘Drive’ in our decks as well as Natasha Braier’s ‘The Neon Demon,’ (whose) photography which I would say is another very surreal film that inspired me to push color-wise. It was really without direct reference though that we sought to identify darkness and how dark is dark for ‘Lucky’? The photographic arc of ‘Lucky’ progresses as the film gets crazier and crazier.

MF: Can you speak a bit about how lens choices affect the visual language of a project?
JS: It’s super important as it’s how the audience perceives the world. For ‘Lucky’ we tested different lenses to try to find what felt right for this. We ended up with a Panavision T series anamorphics. They hold a lot of character, but they don’t distort the image in any weird way that would call attention to itself or distract the audience. So they’re clean, but they have a lot of character and beautiful color and the way the sources flare on screen is really beautiful. We knew we wanted to shoot anamorphic because it really isolates May in the frame and has this larger-than-life cinematic feel. You have a shallower depth of field but a greater field of view than spherical, so you can see more of the world but really isolate your focus in certain frames. ‘Lucky’ was a small movie, so being able to photograph in interesting ways and be in the same location a lot of days and being able to work around a room, these lenses really helped us do that. We could really leverage what we had in front of the lens.

MF: How did you shoot the extensive night sequences?
JS: I don’t know if shooting night is any cinematographer’s favorite thing on a budget. There’s a creative conversation that goes on just as with anything else though. What is moonlight? What color is moonlight? How hard is the moonlight? Is there moonlight at all? Are there light sources from the house lighting up the interior? These are all conversations that you have going into a project that has this much night. Leaning into a stylized moonlight fit the aesthetic and the tone of the film in general. We see every room at night and so doing something that was pitch black or so much streetlight or porch light wouldn’t have felt right. We built a huge rig that actually extended off the roof of the house. We were able to spread the moonlight in a way that covered a larger surface area using daylight units. Inside to supplement, we added soft ambient light where necessary.

MF: What is a film directed by a woman or that had a woman cinematographer that you would suggest readers seek out?
JS: A good one would be ‘Portrait of a Lady On Fire.’ Céline Sciamma directed it and Claire Mathon shot it. What’s great about that film is that it had very beautiful but what I like to call ‘quiet’ cinematography. It didn’t draw attention to itself but fit the narrative. Without it being super stylized or over the top, it was still received so well. I watched it after being exposed to all the public praise and usually that can ruin a film for you. They talk up a film, and you go in and watch it, and it doesn’t hold up to the hype that it had. But it did. So to have heard of ‘Portrait of a Lady on Fire,’ and then go watch it and see how the camera’s very quiet, it’s very observant, it’s just letting the story play out, was really refreshing. It’s true to itself in its photography and that is the kind of cinematography we should be talking about.
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Portrait of a Lady on Fire (2019) – written and directed by Céline Sciamma

(L to R) Actors Noémie Merlant and Adèle Haenel and writer/director Céline Sciamma on the set of ‘Portrait of a Lady on Fire’

Debuting at the Cannes Film Festival in 2019, Céline Sciamma’s fourth feature film ‘Portrait of a Lady on Fire’ won the Queer Palm and Sciamma took home the Best Screenplay award. Starring Noémie Merlant as painter Marianne and Adèle Haenel as her subject Héloïse, the film explores forbidden love, desire, and the struggles of women in France at the end of the eighteenth century. Claire Mathon won Best Cinematography at the César Awards for her work on the film. ‘Portrait of a Lady on Fire’ is available on Hulu.
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March 12, 2021