DID I? (United States, 2023)
When viewers first meet Genevieve (Alexandra Pica), the main character of director Sarah Tice’s DID I?, she wakes up disoriented, disheveled, and mysteriously bruised. She is also having a tough time at work, where she is an editor and aspiring writer. We learn that the relatively mild-mannered and introverted Genevieve is struggling with Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID), and her alter Stevie, who is no fan of Genevieve’s therapist Rachel (Raven Wynn), has a decidedly wild side to her. Tice, who cowrote the screenplay with Zachary Beckler, does an admirable job of focusing on more realistic depictions of DID rather than just presenting the sensational, though naturally any horror or thriller film attempting to tackle mental issues walks a fine line. The third act packs a highly disturbing, harrowing wallop that reveals the reason for Genevieve’s trauma. Tice, who worked with a microbudget, does fine work that belies the film’s meager budget, including digital wizardry, quick cuts, and strobe effects calculated to have viewers relate to Genevieve’s feelings. Pica gives a marvelous double-layered performance, effectively portraying both the vulnerable, confused Genevieve and the hard-partying, devil-may-care Stevie with aplomb. The sizable supporting cast also gives fine performances. Without a large budget, films must depend on a well-directed story that engages the audience and performances that captivate, and DID I? delivers.
Saving Grace (Australia, 2022)
In Saving Grace, from cowriters/codirectors Gareth Carr and David Sullivan, carer for the elderly Sarah (Kirsty McKenzie), on the eve of leaving town for a new job, discovers one of her patients dead. She travels to a remote island home to assist with a new patient, Grace (Carole Sharkey-Waters). As if the isolated location and the only other person on the island besides the silent, minimally responsive Grace being the seemingly odd-behaving gardener Albert (Gary Boulter) weren’t bothersome enough, Sarah begins to see and hear worrying incidents. She finds Grace walking in unexpected places, which Albert insists Grace isn’t able to do. Saving Grace effectively toys with the strange proceedings perhaps being of supernatural origin and delivers some startling surprises in the third act. Before getting there, though, there is almost enough wandering around the island and Grace’s home as there is in the average found footage horror film — to be clear, Saving Grace is not found footage — which means there is quite a lot. Carr also shot the film — which looks great, with beautiful natural scenery and impressive interior set design, though a few scenes are a bit on the dark side — and edited. McKenzie does a solid job in the lead role, and Boulter delivers a fine supporting performance.
SAVING GRACE and DID I? screen as part of A Night of Horror International Film Festival, which runs September 28–October 1, 2023 in Sydney, Australia. For more information, visit http://www.anightofhorror.com/.
