Plot summary:
Sissy is a 2022 Australian indie psychological horror film starring Aisha Dee in the title role as Cecilia (aka Sissy), a successful social media influencer who is invited to a bachelorette weekend by her close childhood friend before it turns into a nightmare.
My thoughts:
I found the film disturbingly satisfying. Having faced my share of exclusion throughout adolescence, there were so many moments when I actually winced in pain. Ouch. Those subtle yet strategic stabs, delivered with an air of innocence ... by people one would not immediately suspect of malevolence. You see, it's easy to vilify the skinny, conventionally pretty blonde. That type has been the low hanging fruit for the mass produced teen dramas and comedies. In reality, bullies do not always look like the proverbial Regina George. Sometimes they have a little bit of meat on their bones, are in a same-sex interracial relationship (which automatically scores them moral points), like Emma and Fran, and talk about empathy and tolerance. Sometimes they have physical limitations like Jamie. These are not the typical aggressors that come from a place of bottomless privilege. They position themselves as somewhat marginalized ... which kind of unties their hands to commit acts of relational cruelty. In many cases, people from historically marginalized groups feel almost entitled to cast the first stone. And sometimes the principal bully, who does most damage, does not initiate acts of aggression but stands compliantly.
