by Shane Conto, Staff Writer
What is the strangest time in the lives of human beings? Those teenage years, of course. We go through so many difficult changes, and we must confront how we will hold ourselves for the rest of our lives. Film has a long history of tackling puberty, blossoming sexuality, and menstruation through allegory. Sure, we do get coming-of-age stories that put a direct focus on such topics (including this year’s impressive Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margaret), but allegory, metaphor, and symbolism are some of the strongest elements in storytelling. You can play with genre to create a unique experience that helps the audience process complex feelings and human experiences.
What does writer/director Jennifer Reeder deliver in, Perpetrator, her latest horror offering for Shudder? Reeder is certainly no stranger to the horror genre, with The Night’s End and a contribution to V/H/S/94 under her belt and on Shudder already. She tackles these familiar and relatable themes in a slightly fresh way. We have seen classic horror tropes used to process such changes with vampiric or lycanthropic elements, but Perpetrator is something different altogether. Our protagonist, Jonny (Kiah McKirnan), is developing strange powers of shapeshifting with a strong connection to blood. Reeder’s take on this puberty allegory feels unique, and it allows the film to connect deeply to the experience of menstruation as well as navigating the male gaze. There is great care and clever writing that goes into the processing of these issues that many women must deal with.
But does the narrative meet the expectations that themes set? Having the film focus on this young woman investigating the disappearance of some of her female peers helps reinforce the themes in an impactful way. Can Jonny leverage her new abilities to save them? This is a question that makes for a thrilling and exciting experience. There are some tertiary beats with the adults in the community, and how the youth fit into the world that they create as well. These elements do come back around into the narrative in subtle ways, but sometimes they feel a bit too loose and subtle. There are some shocking and impactful revelations in terms of the nature of some of its characters. Those reveals, and subsequent scenes of processing them, do deliver some shocks, but they also deepen the film’s themes. There are some of these revelations that feel a bit too telegraphed, which does blunt their effect in some ways.
Does this cast bring their A-game to deliver an effecting experience? McKirnan is a strong and confident presence, and the film is better for it. She can show vulnerability as well as process the unexpected changes she is going through. Alicia Silverstone makes an unexpected appearance as Jonny’s aunt who takes her in. She makes some interesting choices, and goes for a refined and confident mentor figure who is not dissimilar to Miranda Otto in The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina. It was a good choice on paper, but something feels off about the execution. Christopher Lowell (of GLOW and How I Met Your Fatherfame) is an absolute delight as the unhinged and brutish principal of Jonny’s school. This character goes to some places, and Lowell is game every step of the way. The rest of the cast of young performers does the work, and delivers genuine and believable characters to fill out the story.
How does Reeder breathe life into the experience from behind the camera? You can tell that Perpetrator is not a big budgeted film; it has a low budget feel. But Reeder shows plenty of experience with creating a visually unique experience. There are specific choices in the way that Jonny’s powers are rendered that make for an unnerving experience. The way faces morph and animalistic urges are unleashed give the film its visual trademarks. But the most impressive element is certainly the climactic confrontation between Jonny and this kidnapper. I would not dare to give any details, as it is too engrossing to take away any of the mystique of the moment.
Is Perpetrator an indie horror experience worth your time? This is certainly going to be one of those few standout films to get movie lovers to run over to Shudder. Reeder accomplishes so much with such a limited bit of resources. The film has universally timeless themes, but also layers in timely ones and ideas. It is a unique twist on a classic allegory for the very human period of growth and change for young people. Reeder continues to build anticipation around her name, and excitement around her work, with this strong outing.
Rating: Liked It
Perpetrator is currently streaming on Shudder
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