by Victoria Potenza, Staff Writer

Hello Moviejawners! I am excited to report back on the films I was able to watch from the Boston Underground Film Festival this year. There were plenty more that the festival showed that I hope to see, and write about in the future. I encourage you to check out their website and social media to get a full idea of the festival offerings this year and add what you can to your watchlist!

Honeycomb (dir. Avalon Fast)

Honeycomb was a very interesting experience. After seeing the popular Starz show Yellowjackets, it was interesting to see a similar story about girls going out on their own to create their own society. The film follows five girls who want to escape from the structure of their everyday lives. One of them finds an abandoned cabin and they decide to claim it for themselves in the hopes of creating their own utopia. However, things take a dark turn as they begin to implement their own rules to keep order amongst themselves, which inevitably leads to violence. I found the overall story interesting, the filmmakers were clearly working through some interesting issues around brugening womanhood and the struggles involved in creating a better society. Overall the performances were a bit lackluster. However I liked much of the imagery as well as the ideas the film was working through. The girls you follow are looking for something more out of their lives, they want to find meaning and empowerment, and they want to embrace their friendship and womanhood. While they falter and do not necessarily succeed in finding what they are looking for they did try something new and different. There is also something very interesting about how easy it is for humans to move towards violent tendencies when left to their own devices and when they are not under the rules of “civilized society”. There is certainly a lot of think on and take away from the film, even if it is not always the most engaging with its characters.

Medusa (dir. Anita Rocha da Silveira)

I loved Medusa. I cannot wait to rewatch this film, there is so much going on and there are some incredible references that I want to dive into a little more on a second viewing. The film follows a group of good christian girls who try to make their town in Brazil better by beating up sinners and making them repent for their wrong doings. Ultimately several of the girls struggle with their faith and what is asked of them, making them come to a head with others in their youth group. I thought the lead performances were incredible in this film, I loved Mari Oliveira who plays Mari. As someone who grew up in an atheist household I always find these struggles of faith so interesting, because they were never a part of my lived experience. I particularly feel for the girls in the film who struggle between their wants and desires, as well as what is expected of them in order to be “good christian wives” in the future. The story goes in a lot of different directions following a variety of characters who are a part of this youth group. I found the faith and devotion of many of the characters to be incredibly chilling, especially watching them as they enact violence against many people who do not deserve it. The film looks incredible, it has a great neon color palette that enhances many of the more intense moments of the film. This is a film that people need to check out especially as it reminded me that we all need to scream and let out our voice from time to time.

Hatching (dir. Hanna Bergholm)

While I expected this Finnish horror flick to be interesting, I did not necessarily know if I would like it. I was pleasantly surprised to absolutely love the film. Everything from the story, to the look, to the incredible acting really hit me. The film follows Tinja (Siiri Solalinna) a young gymnast who is working hard to impress her mother, who wants her to be the perfect daughter. One day she finds an egg and decides to let it hatch, she keeps it hidden in her room and nurtures it until eventually something comes out. I think giving more away than that would be detrimental to your viewing experience. The film went in some directions I did not expect, but it ultimately became a film about childhood rebellion, and the threat of becoming just like your parents. It takes a monstrous feminine turn that solidified this as one of my favorite watches of the year so far. Siiri Solalinna is incredible, you really empathize with everything she struggles with. Sophia Heikkilä who plays the mother is absolutely chilling. Every time she came on screen I was terrified of what she might do or say to her daughter. I also love stories about people who project the image of perfection, and ultimately have to deal with the cracks in their facade. This is another film I highly recommend checking out when it becomes more available.

So those are my reviews. It was a short but sweet festival. I hope to check out more of their offerings in the future. Be on the lookout for these films and other underground films like it!