‘Blue My Mind’ Review
Stars: Luna Wedler, Zoë Pastelle Holthuizen, Regula Grauwiller, Georg Scharegg, Lou Haltinner, Yael Meier, David Oberholzer, Una Rusca, Timon Kiefer, Benjamin Dangel, Martin Rapold, Rachel Braunschweig | Written by Lisa Bruhlmann, Dominik Locher | Directed by Lisa Bruhlmann
There has been more talk than ever about women in the film industry and in particular, directing movies. Being even more specific, female directors in the horror genre has been a hot topic of discussion lately after Jason Blum’s comments on the subject. So, you’ve guessed it, Blue My Mind comes from a female director by the name of Lisa Bruhlmann. And as her first feature film, it’s a very impressive debut. It’s a hard film to review in that the little you know about the movie the better, and I am going to write this spoiler-free because I would love people to watch Blue My Mind knowing very little about it like I did.
I’m sure there’ll be case of may people thinking this isn’t quite a genre movie, and while it’s not as obvious and in your face as lots of films, it does have a dark undertone and a few scenes that might make even the most hardened horror fan turn away from the screen.
Blue My Mind is a coming of age story. A fifteen year old girl is going through growing up and starting a new school at the same time that her body is changing a bit differently than the other girls in her school. This not the first genre film to take this direction – from Carrie to Ginger Snaps to Jennifer’s Body and many more; but Blue My Mind is right up there with the very best of them. At first gripping you with its story and cast of characters and then adding a perfectly balanced amount of body horror. And talking about the actors involved, everybody is cast to perfection. None more so than the largely inexperienced lead actress Luna Wedler as Mia. She is amazing. Somehow managing to be quietly innocent to a tough ‘take no nonsense’ teenager to a scared young adult and everything in between. Switching between each mood very naturally. In fact, the whole movie feels very ‘natural’ in the way that the characters talk and interact. Wedler is certain to go on to bigger things.
Although not made on a big budget, Blue My Mind uses what it has very well. There’s, what I believe was, mostly practical effects with a little CGI to produce the body horror aspects of the movie. One particular scene involving nail scissors made me wish I wasn’t eating at the time. It gave me that real pit of the stomach feeling that not many horrors have lately. The whole film has a very pleasant look except when it wants to turn horrible… In the end leading to a beautiful-looking and heart-warming final scene. It’s a nice moment to end on to because even after all her flaws, you want to see Mia happy.
As a debut feature film, there’s not many more original or better. This story has been told a few times before in genre but none so expertly and interestingly. Bruhlmann has apparently been lined to direct the nest season of Killing Eve, which sounds like a match made in heaven that I can’t wait to see. Here’s hoping Blue My Mind is the first of many great Swiss horror movies.
