Unravelling – FrightFest 2024 Movie Review
Director: Aimie Willemse
Writer: Aimie Willemse (Screenplay)
Cast
- Sheila Grier (The Last Bus)
- Shona McHugh (The Loch)
Plot: FIONA tries to care for her chronically ill grandmother MAEVE as she struggles to retain her autonomy. As her invisible illness begins to physically manifest into a malignant entity, Fiona is forced to confront her worse fears.
Runtime: 8 Minutes
There may be spoilers in the rest of the review
Verdict on Unravelling
Unravelling is a short horror movie following Fiona (McHugh) caring for her elderly grandmother Maeve (Grier). She is helping her prepare to downsize but finds a malignant entity controlling her. Fiona must decide how to take back control of her life before it is too late.
This short horror dives into the mental fatigue of struggling with an invisible illness. It shows how it can control people and slowly start to consume them. This does have some similarities to Natalie Erika James’ ‘Relic’, in showing a family dynamic with illness. The small runtime gives us jarring moments which come in strong for the mindset Fiona struggles through.
Like with most short movies, I like to look into whether we could explore more. This is one that we could explore a lot more, it feels like we could see more of the daily, hourly battles Fiona goes through and the fear she is facing. It is an excellent entry into something that could be seen as a difficult subject to discuss, but one that needs to be addressed.
Final Thoughts – Unravelling is a jarring, disturbing short moment in a difficult life.
