Truly incredible. The title of this film has always been so captivating to me — and i was so excited to receive the imprint blu-ray for christmas this year. I finally got to watch it tonight and it did not disappoint. Zhora Lambert delivers my favorite performance i’ve seen in a very long time, as one of my newfound favorite horror protagonists. I just found myself so enamored by her, and only rooting for her more as the film goes on. Whether it’s her gravestone prints or her gleefully bringing home a mole she finds. She’s such a distinctively hopeful and strong character, fighting to find the joy and happiness in life, even when everything around her is trying to drag her under. It’s a beautiful and tragic portrayal of mental illness — regardless of the somewhat supernatural implications. As someone who struggles with mental health I really resonated with Jessica and think she is an incredibly underrated final girl. I love women in horror! 

The film takes its time building its atmosphere, with beautiful cinematography and an insanely immersive score. I really do just adore the components of this film, they utilized a small budget so well. 

Emily/Abigail was enamoring, even if I hated her at the same time. She was definitely an engaging villain and I loved the juxtaposition of her kind words mixed with the vile things she was putting into Jessica’s head. It makes you feel so uneasy and paranoid, just as Jessica herself. Her character functions as a compelling metaphor for mental illness itself — and the insecurity, doubt, and confusion it brings. Jessica’s internal voice arguing against Emily’s taunts reminds me a lot of the back and forth when trying to reason with your own negative self talk. As someone with OCD, these moments of internal dialogue really stood out. 

The ambiguous ending is conflicting as I do love the lack of clear answers. Jessica’s final voice over as well was a great way to end it with the shot of the townsfolk staring back at her. 

I choose to believe Jessica made it back to the city, and got to start a new life with people who appreciated her kind and unique soul. I don’t think i’ve loved a protagonist this much in a long while. Jessica, you have a little bit of my heart <3