I Am Lisa (2020) is the feminist werewolf movie we actually deserve 🐺🌕🐾🌲
Click to viewI Am Lisa came up as an advert on my Instagram, and it was one of the very few times I got an advert for something that I have actually been interested in. It looked incredibly interesting from the posters, and I carved some time out on Saturday to watch it.
Verdict: I quite liked it! It's not the best werewolf film I have ever seen, least of all the best film, but I did very much enjoy it and its message. It certainly is better at conveying it than some other films. I lot of people compared it unfavourably to The W🌕lf 🌕f Sn🌕w H🌕ll🌕w (the WOSH being deemed a superiour film, which is pantently bullshit because that was one of the worst films I had ever seen).
One of my favourite niches in the horror market is the "good for her" genre of horror. Films like Carrie is probably the greatest example (and one of the greatest films in that sub-genre) That being said, other films in that sub-genre, such as Jennifer's Body and Ginger Snaps, I absolutely loathed, especially the latter, because their messages aren't of equality, they're of "men are assholes, so women getting to be the new bullies is the uwu #/bossbabe! move." (It's like the same idiots who make excuses for their political party of choice because "the other side did it," like this is the fucking playground, and he was bad, so I wanna do it, too!!!) Jennifer's Body did have some interesting moments and things to say (and some genuinely difficult moments), but the hyper-sexualization of teenage characters played by adults is always a hard no for me. I didn't really think the racist jokes were funny, nor did I think her killing random boys off instead of the ones who actually hurt her were the feminist message they thought they were achieving Ginger Snaps is absolutely unwatchable, and I almost couldn't get through it, because if there's one thing I absolutely hate is watching narcissistic assholes have narcissistic temper-tantrums for 90 minutes to 2 hours.
Wildling is a really, really good example of this "good for her" sub-genre done right, with an added bonus of being a werewolf-like film. It's absolutely gorgeous.
Using lycanthropy as a metaphor for menses and puberty is growing a little tiresome (even my beloved The Company of Wolves, although it handles it better than most) because it's SO clumsily rendered and such a high-handed metaphor that it loses its meaning. I Am Lisa is one of the first werewolf movies in a long not to make that metaphor.
TW: some spoilers, mentions of sexual abuse, revenge
I Am Lisa is the story of a very shy, smart girl (named Lisa) who just finished studying abroad in Spain, and has to return to her miserable shithole home town after her grandmother dies to run the family business, a bookstore. After being assaulted multiple times, both sexually and physically, and left in the woods to die, Lisa is bitten by a wolf and becomes a werewolf-like creature. Through the power of female friendship, Lisa works through her changes, and exacts very deserved and brutal revenge on all of those who wronged her.
This film is not without its flaws. Some of the script is a little clumsy, and I know some people have complained about the special effects( which, like, as someone who watches horror movies a lot, you know that most of them have lousy effects, and you just let your imagination run with it, so I am not sure exactly what they're complaining about??? #/youmustbenewhere, etc.). I am not saying it is the worst film, but it's not the best, and it surely does not deserve the hate it receives (although there is a huge discrepancy in the way the film is rated on IMBD versus Rotten Tomatoes, which I certainly think it interesting). What works really works, and what doesn't work surely doesn't. The end has a really spectacular pay off.
The acting in this film is spectacular. Across the board, this film is so well acted. Manon Halliburton as the slimy sheriff is a standout, certainly.
The friendship between Lisa and her best friend, Sam (?), is very sweet.
The music in this film is also really lovely, and I found out the composer is a Latina! That was very exciting! I am very proud of and happy for her!!!
I know there were some complaints about the special effects and the revenge killings being "PG-13" or something, but I thought they were very realistic and brutal (and I ended up covering my eyes for a couple of them). There were a couple of "oh shit!" out loud moments, for sure.
All and all, I think it's a very competent film. It does a lot better than some of the similar films in the genre at handling certain topics, while having its failings none the less. Over all, I enjoyed it.
Sadly, there was not enough werewolf action, but that's always the case.