Horse Girl Review

The odd and subtly engaging film Horse Girl from writer/director Jeff Baena tends to equally balance thought-provoking and psychologically fascinating visuals and the more formulaic story aspects of the comedy and thriller genres. The film is rough around the edges, as reluctance to elaborate more on the cofounding themes takes away from some of the movies more strikingly bizarre moments. The undeniably bare narrative and the boldly vague aesthetics would often be a massive detriment to a film like Horse Girl. However, the incredible performance by lead actress and co-writer Alison Brie gives much-needed depth to the main protagonist, fortifying some of the more emotionally spellbinding moments that ultimately helps keep it an entertaining and peculiar film.

Sarah, a socially awkward craft store employee who would rather spend her nights inside watching crime shows than going to parties, finds herself becoming a victim to strange dreams and hallucinogenic visions. As the complexity and mysteriousness of these illusions begin to alter Sarah’s once quaint life drastically, she struggles to distinguish what’s real from fake — sending her spiralling into a state of paranoia and confusion that feels inescapable.

There are a certain warmth and comfort throughout the film's muted cinematography and cozy use of pastels. Baena uses this decorative detail for far more than breezy production design, weaving the various colours symbolically through stylish dream sequences and claustrophobic nightmares. It's a decorative layer that pays off for the film, helping elevate the slower and more emulative story beats that happen. While the stylistic approaches made throughout the film are worth mentioning, Horse Girl's biggest strength is the believable writing attached to its main character. Brie's showcase of emotional fluidity proves to be critical when the film is most dependant on it, creating a character that feels unpredictable while demanding both sympathy and disdain.

However, the vague and sometimes expected story that Horse Girl decides to pursue doesn’t fulfill the potential of its skillful filmmaking and acting. The film brings up interesting themes and elements but refuses to delve deeper into them, instead choosing to move onto something else before letting its atmosphere and tone genuinely settle. These unventured parts take away from the philosophically poignant moments that the film often works hard to conjure, producing interesting moments that are filled with more style than substance.

Overall, the more streamlined narrative can be unsatisfying, but Horse Girl incontestably has moments of brilliance thanks to the degree of craftsmanship put into the filmmaking process and a riveting performance from Allison Brie that materializes a melancholy that generates moments of abstract originality. Although it’s third act concludes in a way that feels too abrupt, there is enough within its confounding execution to stay entertained.

The refreshing and obscure aesthetics and powerful performance from Alison Brie let the original and bracing moments of Horse Girl stand out from its flaws.

Produced By: Netflix
Runtime: 104 minutes
Rating: R