Berlinale 2023: Perpetrator
Berlinale 2023“Monstrous femininity” has been a prevalent element of the horror genre from its inception. While beloved male-directed efforts like The Exorcist, The Brood, and Possession may be unintentionally conservative in their fearful portrayal of female bodies, it is only over the past decade that female filmmakers have been able to break into the cultural zeitgeist and take ownership of their own bodies. Jennifer Kent and Julia Ducournau are two of the more well-known auteurs that have specialized in such subversive storytelling, but there is another filmmaker who has made dozens of shorts and feature films and uses populist genres and the female gaze to break societal taboos: Jennifer Reeder.
Perpetrator tells the story of Jonny (Kiah McKirnan), a peculiar 17-year-old who simply does not fit into the world. Her alcoholic father forces her to move to her aunt Hildie’s (Alicia Silverstone) and attend a new high school where multiple female students have gone missing. The film unfolds in multiple unexpected ways, surpassing its nature as a pastiche and becoming its very own distinct, unique project.
One thing that is important to keep in mind is that Reeder studied filmmaking in an art school, which has led her to approach all of her projects more as literal works of art than as a piece of populist entertainment. This has led to a largely divisive reception of her films, including Perpetrator. Such negativity is more than understandable, for the mythology that she builds is muddled and confusing, often going for quickly-edited montages and opaque dialogue, and the characters never speak as real people would.
And yet, Perpetrator manages to be so bizarre and unlike other contemporary horror films that it becomes an incredibly bold and fun statement on the patriarchal society’s obsession with youth and beauty. The film takes place in a heightened reality where men are the most dangerous animal and women need to work together to survive. Reeder even manages to transcend notions of female solidarity to explore aspects of gender fluidity and empathy through Jonny’s growing powers. The unnatural performances only elevate the uncanny feeling of the film, leading to moments that go from hilarious to disturbing in a matter of seconds (every scene with Chris Lowell’s high school principal is a highlight, especially his simulation of a school shooting).
This purposeful tonal whiplash makes Perpetrator a niche horror film that only a select few will appreciate. Its references are endearing rather than forced, from the Buffalo Bill-lite obsession of the central masked killer to the gothic and seductive look of Alicia Silverstone taken straight out of The Hunger, and Reeder’s sense of humor makes it clear that the film should not be taken overly seriously. There is a lot, probably too much to unpack here on just one screening, which is why the film’s incoming release on Shudder will likely turn it into an underground success where fans can obsess over all the intricacies of the melodramatic plot, its queer readings, or the reappropriation of feminine blood (plenty of imagery echoes both births and periods). This will not be the new Titane or Babadook, and in a way neither it should: just like the protagonist, Jonny, fights to protect her individuality and identity, so too should Perpetrator stand on its own two legs.