Toxic positivity, influencer culture, and murder converge in Sissy, a new horror film with as much social commentary as fake blood splattered across the screen.
Hannah Barlow and Kane Senes’ satire tells the story of social media influencer Cecilia (Aisha Dee), a positive and successful influencer who has blocked the trauma of her friendship with Emma (Hannah Barlow) ending due to bullying by Alex (Emily De Margheriti). That is until she is invited to Emma’s bachelorette weekend after a surprise encounter. Once there, Cecilia’s trauma rears its ugly head as blood is shed everywhere.
Dee does a great job with the material and makes you really feel for her, despite her ongoing questionable actions. Despite being a successful influencer, she is insecure and struggles like so many others, which makes her role as a protagonist an interesting one in the wake of the murderous rampage that continues. Other characters feel one dimensional and if the film gave them better motivations, it’s likely the character of Cecilia would have been even more elevated.
Unfortunately for those seeking biting critique of influencer culture, Sissy misses the mark. Conversations about their role and place in society are featured, but instead of looking at the power they play in the lives of the characters, we see how things like likes and comments can help one feel at ease in troubling times.
Sissy is an all-out slasher movie, which by halfway, would rather delight with exploding heads and moments of humour than make a clear point. And while it’s entertaining and features a strong conclusion, it doesn’t feel different from others in the genre by the end.
Eden Caceda 