[SXSW 2022] ‘Sissy’ Removes the Mask of Playful Cruelty Behind Social Media Personas

Premiering at SXSW 2022 is the Australian Horror movie Sissy. Co-writers/co-directors Kane Senes and Hannah Barlow use the backdrop of social media as a reflection of self-worth and the horrific lengths one would take to keep from being “canceled.” Starring Aisha Dee (The Bold Type), Hannah Barlow (For Now), Lucy Barrett (Bloom), Emily De Margheriti (I Hate Kids), Yerin Ha (Halo), and Daniel Monks (Pulse).

Sissy (Dee), or as she prefers these days, Cecilia, is an Instagram wellness influencer focusing on breathing habits, ropes, meditation, and mantras during her videos. Her handle @SincerelyCecilia has over 200k followers and is gaining momentum. The adoration from her fans is her self-care of choice as she immediately needs to read her comments, outpouring of well wishes and heart emojis the moment she posts her videos. Not precisely the practice what you preach type of guru.

A chance encounter with Emma (Barlow), her childhood best friend whom she hasn’t seen in a decade, gets her an invite to Emma’s bachelorette party and then a “hen’s” weekend. Reluctant at first, due to her social life being online interactions, Cecilia says yes, and just like that, her past has found her and invited her away for the weekend. Unbeknownst to Sissy, the weekend getaway is being hosted by Emma’s best friend and Sissy’s grade school bully, Alex (Margheriti), who was disfigured by Sissy accidentally when they were kids as a result of the bullying. 

The tight-knit group of friends for the celebration has been a part of Emma’s life for a while, forming their own clique. Cecilia feels like an afterthought, not getting the inside jokes or being left out of a conversation; we can feel that disconnect which is fueled by Alex’s constant jabs at Cecilia’s expense. Fran (Barrett), Emma’s fiancé, tries to include her in the conversation, but unintentionally, she worsens the divide by just being in Emma’s life. The fact that she is largely ignored and then “bullied” by the guests can almost justify where the story is leading us to a degree.

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Ambushed by Alex, who has stolen her phone, to “confess” to her followers who she really is to force her to lose everything, Cecilia snaps. The remainder of Sissy is a woman trying to get back a moment where she felt the most complete by any means necessary, all while trying to maintain her online persona where she feels like she is her best self. It’s a fun and terrifying juxtaposition that brings dark humor despite the absolute carnage we witness. 

Sissy has a lot to say about the ‘influencer” culture. The group gets up in arms with Cecilia because she is dolling out therapy advice with no psychology background. But what really offends their sensibilities is that she gets paid for doing ads for products, which makes their ire that much more superficial. Jamie (Monks) and Tracey (Ha) are quick to gush over Cecilia’s follower count and celebs who follow her but then immediately try to belittle her success either out of pettiness, faux outrage, or jealousy. The “Stan” and the “Cancel” nature that plagues the online landscapes of social media is being commented on.

Aisha Dee is phenomenal, her transformation between Sissy and Cecilia is remarkable. She truly becomes a separate person in both cadences and body language. A modern Annie Wilkes, but more frightening because of the lack of responsibility for one’s actions, it’s always someone or something else’s fault. Hannah Barlow is not only a triple threat on this project but also captures the personality of a person who is the lynchpin for multiple groups of friends. The silliness and vulnerability when with a best friend are tough to portray realistically on screen, and she nails it. The two have a powerful chemistry that brings history and its baggage along for the ride. 

Sissy makes you choose sides before we have the whole story in a way that was quite clever. We get glimpses of childhood friends and schoolyard altercations in snippets throughout the narrative. Just as the characters do, we side with one person over another based on the story we’ve gotten. Only to have our instincts challenged as more of the truth is revealed. There is a mask motif going, both literally at times and figuratively. Everyone is wearing two faces, and when pushed far enough, their true self is revealed.

Early in Sissy, the filmmakers linger on the bloated corpse of a roadside deer and the protruding guts for a lot longer than is comfortable, hovering just above offensive. It’s like Senes and Barlow are daring us to keep watching, staring at this grotesque image, to see if we can stomach what’s coming. There’s playful cruelty to the whole scene, which perfectly sums up the latter half of the movie. If you’re a fan of gore, you’ve come to the right hen’s weekend.

With incredible performances, a behind the “mask” look at influencers and online personalities, dark humor, and over-the-top violence, Sissy is satirical horror at its most inventive. Senes and Barlow created a surreal tale of revenge for perceived wrongs and the lack of responsibility for the most heinous acts. All under a filter of stars and hearts one would use on a photo app before posting, to mask perceived imperfections. An examination of toxic female friendships, social media culture, and the idea that if life doesn’t turn out the way you wanted, it’s someone else’s fault. Which all make for a disturbing but charming horror that you better “Like,” or else. 3.5/5

★★★★

You can check out the trailer for Sissy below and the film will head to Shudder later this year. Be sure to follow ScaryNerd for all things horror, sci-fi and everything in between!

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