The Eyes of My Mother (2016)

A young, lonely woman is consumed by her deepest and darkest desires after tragedy strikes her quiet country life.

Director:

Nicolas Pesce

Writer:

Nicolas Pesce

Stars:

Kika Magalhães, Will Brill, Olivia Bond

5 wins & 13 nominations.

Cast

Credited cast:
Diana Agostini	...	Mother
Olivia Bond	...	Young Francisca
Will Brill	...	Charlie
Joey Curtis-Green	...	Antonio
Flora Diaz	...	Lucy
Kika Magalhães	...	Francisca (as Kika Magalhaes)
Paul Nazak	...	Father
Clara Wong	...	Kimiko

Storyline

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 traumatizing 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.

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Plot Keywords:

black and white | murder of mother | stabbed in the back | dead body | death of father | 

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Genres:

Drama | Horror

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for disturbing violent content and behavior, and brief nudity

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English Portuguese

Release Date:

2 December 2016 (USA)

Also Known As:

Os Olhos da Minha Mãe

Filming Locations:

Cooperstown, New York, USA

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$8,908, 2 December 2016, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$25,981, 23 December 2016

Company Credits

Production Co:

Borderline Presents, Tandem Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

76 min

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The music that Francisca and her father dance to is "Naufrágio" in the voice of Amália Rodrigues. This type of Portuguese traditional music is called "fado", which translates to "sad destiny", and it's commonly used to express the feeling of losing someone dear.

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Goofs

[All goofs for this title are spoilers.]

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Quotes

Mother: Loneliness can do strange things to the mind.

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Connections

Features House on Haunted Hill (1959)

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Soundtracks

Tumbling Lights
Performed by The Acid
Written by Adam Freeland, Ry Cuming and Steve Nalepa
Courtesy of Mute Records, by arrangement with Zync Music Group and BMG US

User Reviews

Outstanding!

I saw this at the Phoenix Film Festival and this is tied, with Under the Shadow, as my favourite horror film from the Festival. (I did indeed see them all.) I'm rating this one higher, though, because if I had to nitpick, the other movie's ending wasn't perfect, and this one nailed everything.

Kika Magalhaes attended the screening and did a Q&A where she discussed her influences on her performance. One was clear while watching it - Audition. Her character, Francesca, behaves, in some instances, very similarly to Asami. If this alone doesn't get you excited to see the film, you're probably not a horror fan.

I love the choice of black and white for the film. It dulls the gore without lessening the impact of the violence. This makes it easier for the squeamish, but in no way detracts from the horror on the screen.

And make no mistake, this movie is horrifying - in the best possible ways. Expertly acted, and directed. The cinematography was outstanding. Overall, best horror I've seen in a long time.