[Demdike@Cult Labs]

May (2002)

Lucky McKee's directorial debut and a film he has never bettered as of yet. May is a psychological horror film about a young woman who had a difficult childhood and very few social interactions. May's only true friend is a doll in a glass case given to her by her mother. She works at an LA animal hospital assisting with surgeries and her only possible friend is receptionist and colleague Polly who flirts with her. May soon strikes up a relationship with a guy who apparently likes 'weird' and May is certainly weird....

May is an excellent yet awkward horror film. A standout performance from Angela Bettis is at the centre of the film as she sweeps all before her with her quirky but adorably attractive looks and mannerisms. Although Anna Faris' Polly, someone who seems more bonkers than May, is great and could easily have stolen the film had Bettis given a lesser performance.

As the film goes on we become emotionally involved with May, or at least i do. It's quite a tragic film at times and must resonate with a lot of lonely souls. Other scenes will have you squirming yet unable to take your eyes away from the screen, especially the blind children scrabbling about on their hands and knees in broken glass. Meanwhile May herself goes from timid mouse to terrifyingly sexy Goth chic (Am i the only one who found killing spree May in her claret dress extremely erotic? - Perhaps it's best not to answer that one) as the film explodes in a brutal orgy of violence and a final act that i won't spoil here other than to say it owes a lot to a classic Gothic novel.

Watching the dvd again last night it was a film clearly shot on video and i'm not sure how the recent Second Sight Blu-ray will look any better. But i'm tempted.