Like Deadstream, Sissy was not a movie we expected to like. Sure, Aisha Dee is a talent and worth watching this movie from start to finish. But besides that, we weren’t too sure about what kind of journey this tale of twisted friendship would take and if we would be cheering on Cecilia to get a happy ending. Because horror always hides the truth and once it’s revealed, it’s tricky to really gauge who is the bad guy and who isn’t; something we’re still not sure of even after watching this horror flick with a touch of slasher.
Starting off, Cecilia seems bright, bubbly, and happy. She’s an influencer who preaches self-care and love to those that follow her teachings. And sure, she’s a bit lonely, but on the surface, she seems like any other young woman trying to make it through the day. Things take a turn when Cecilia runs into Emma, played by Hannah Barlow, who helps jumpstart the movie and the secrets that our main character has been holding onto and from the viewer to get to see her in a favorable light.
As Cecilia reconnects with Emma, the cracks start to appear. On the surface, it seems like Cecilia and Emma fit. But after an invitation to Emma’s hen weekend, it becomes clear that Cecilia is cracking under the pressure of her loneliness and the fact that her relationship with Emma crumbled when they were young girls. And now, faced with her past, she can’t hide from the truth that Emma has moved onto the one person that hurt Cecilia and magnifies our lead’s emptiness: Emma’s new best friend Alex, played by Emily De Margheriti.
This is when Sissy as a movie turns absolutely batshit.
Cecilia doesn’t mean to hurt those around her at first. She’s trying to protect her space and the mental space she has created to forgive herself for the trauma of her past. But once she sees that killing those around her is the way to protect that space, she loses control of the situation but gains control back of her life. And yes, technically she’s the bad guy. After all, she is the murderer of this story. But you can’t help but sympathize with her, and the entire cast, blurring the lines of who is who.
Ultimately, Aisha Dee absolutely kills it in Sissy. In this movie, she proves that she has the acting chops to go past The Bold Type and into bigger, badder, and more complex storylines. And with her character Cecilia, we saw Dee push the boundaries of how mental health changes and drives a situation and how we mold ourselves to be the picture we want others to see. It’s a dangerous tale with a dangerous ending that we wouldn’t want to spoil because it feels full circle and like something you should all experience.
Sissy has been acquired by Shudder before SXSW.
No release has been scheduled yet.
