The Eyes of My Mother

One of the most disturbing horror films of 2016, The Eyes of My Mother lingers with you long after the final credits roll. The film follows Francisca, a young, lonely woman who becomes consumed by her deepest and darkest desires after tragedy strikes her quiet country life. Raised by her mother, a former surgeon from Portugal, trained in anatomy and taught to be unfazed by death, young Francisca’s idyllic life is shattered with the arrival of a mysterious visitor whose actions deeply traumatize the girl, but also awakening unique, disturbing 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 mesmeric black and white, The Eyes of My Mother bucks traditional horror tropes to create what could be considered a new style of American Gothic. Magnificently horrific Nicolas Pesce’s debut feature is a deliciously gorgeous nightmare that simultaneously seduces and abhors. (Monster Pictures)