Library patrons are always asking me, “what have you read (sometimes seen) lately that you loved?”  This is what I loved this week.

XX: Four Deadly Tales by Four Killer Women (film)

Directors: Roxanne Benjamin 
Karyn Kusama
St. Vincent (Annie Clark)
Jovanka Vuckovic

Why: XX is a complication of four short horror films either directed or written by women, about women.  The Box (JV), about a mysterious box whose contents wreak havoc on the well-being of a suburban family and the suspense in this film could not be more monumental.  The Birthday Cake (SV), directed by musician St. Vincent, is a quirky, beautifully shot and sometimes adorable tale of death and family.  Don’t Fall (RB), about four friends camping in uncharted territory in the wilderness with suspicious cave drawings and amazing creature effects.  The anthology concludes with Her Only Living Son (KK) about the love that a mother can possess for her child (possess being the operative word), sacrificing herself at all costs, whether to her detriment or not is debatable.  It’s plain to see why these four were chosen to accompany each other in this volume because though so dissimilar in content, each story is masterfully directed, creative and excitingly original.

Watchalikes: Grace dir. Paul Solet
Rosemary’s Baby dir. Roman Polanski
May dir. Lucky McKee
Contracted dir. Eric England