Horse Girl (2020)

Sarah, a socially isolated woman with a fondness for arts and crafts, horses, and supernatural crime shows finds her increasingly lucid dreams trickling into her waking life.

Director:

Jeff Baena

Writers:

Jeff Baena, Alison Brie

Stars:

Alison Brie, Molly Shannon, Goldenite

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Alison Brie	...	Sarah
Molly Shannon	...	Joan
Goldenite	...	Willow
Stella Chestnut	...	Shannon (as Stella Chesnut)
John Ortiz	...	Ron
Lauren Weedman	...	Cheryl
Hazel Armenante	...	Emma
Robin Tunney	...	Agatha Kaine
Matthew Gray Gubler	...	Darren Colt
Debby Ryan	...	Nikki
Jake Picking	...	Brian
Mary Apick	...	Tarot Card Reader
Toby Huss	...	Joe
Angela Trimbur	...	Julie
Aaron Stanford	...	Hades

Storyline

Sarah, a socially isolated arts and crafts store employee, finds herself more content in the company of horses and supernatural crime shows than people. But when a series of strangely surreal dreams upend the simplicity of her waking life, Sarah struggles to distinguish her visions from reality. A darkly humorous psychological thriller about a woman's search for the truth, however abstract it may be.

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Plot Keywords:

schizophrenia | dream | paranoia | mental illness | social awkwardness | 

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Genres:

Drama | Mystery | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language and some sexuality, graphic nudity and drug use

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

7 February 2020 (USA)

Also Known As:

Horse Girl

Company Credits

Production Co:

Duplass Brothers Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

103 min

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Following "Joshy" and "The Little Hours", director Jeff Baena wrote the screenplay with a detailed outline and let the cast improvise their dialogue.

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Connections

References Columbo (1971)

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Soundtracks

Brandenburg Concerto No. 4 in G - Allegro
Written by Johann Sebastian Bach
Courtesy of Extreme Music

User Reviews

Not for those who like easy answers.

Horse Girl is an achingly sad movie about mental breakdown. In the first act of the film, I found the character development to be beautifully executed and I was rooting for Sarah. I was hoping the film could turn out as some kind of offbeat romcom even though I had an idea we were in for a darker ride.

One thing I loved about this movie was that the focus was on just observing Sarah and empathetically inhibiting her mindset without judgment or explanation. I think this could be off putting for some viewers but if you're interested in psychology and how people work, this movie will be very interesting for you.

Personally, I think the overall message of this movie is that the mind of mentally ill person is not to be dismissed outright because their experiences will feel real to them, which is a very empathetic and true point to make. My favourite scene in the movie made this clear as Ethan told Sarah that he appreciated that the experiences she described were 100% her truth.

In the past, I think Jeff Baena's films have not gotten the credit they deserve but thankfully this one is undeniable and has received critical acclaim.

Lastly, I want to mention the acting. Alison Brie was the star of the show for sure as she created a believable character and she played both the small and big moments perfectly. Molly Shannon also managed to create a specific and three dimensional character with a short amount of screen time. I loved the scene where she tried to advise Sarah to put aside any negative thoughts, this perfectly satirised the well-meaning but misguided ally to anyone with mental health difficulties.

Overall, this move was really insightful. I'd recommend to anyone who likes a character-based film or who has a strong interest in psychology.