Video: Horror rendered in black-and-white can convey a haunting quality that the goriest of blood-reds could never dream of achieving. No wonder contemporary filmmakers are still fond of it. A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night is a recent example — as is The Eyes of My Mother, from writer-director Nicolas Pesce.
Image: Magnet Releasing
Here’s the official description:
In their secluded farmhouse, a mother, formerly a surgeon in Portugal, teaches her daughter, Francisca, to understand anatomy and be unfazed by death. One afternoon, a mysterious visitor shatters the idyll of Francisca’s family life, deeply traumatising the young girl, but also awakening unique curiosities. Though she clings to her increasingly reticent father, Francisca’s loneliness and scarred nature converge years later when her longing to connect with the world around her takes on a dark form. Shot in crisp black and white, the haunting visual compositions evoke its protagonist’s isolation and illuminate her deeply unbalanced worldview.
The still image that frames the trailer, below, evokes 1960’s Eyes Without a Face — another great black-and-white horror film with some twisted parent/child themes.
The Eyes of My Mother, which is part of this week’s Fantastic Fest, comes to theatres and VOD in the US on December 2. It will be released in Australia next year.