Film Fests
[REVIEW] BROOKLYN HORROR FILM FESTIVAL: ‘She is Conann’ (2023) Brings Savage Swords and Hellish Heartbreak
My succinct review of Bertrand Mandico’s She is Connan: it’s a beautifully made movie, which serves as a compelling treatise on the nature of syndicated characters and coming to terms with death.
My less succinct review: It’s a good sword and sorcery film, reinterpreting and remixing the story of how Conan went from a slave to a soldier to a king…and then a ’85 Buick LeSabre covered in silver armor drives through the afterlife and pins a woman to a rock, beginning an immortal lesbian time travel plot about immeasurable love and loss.
Then it turns from a good film into an absolutely insane film you have to see to believe.
A TAKE ON THE BARBARIAN LIKE YOU’VE NEVER SEEN
The story is familiar at first: when her mother is killed, Conann is taken captive by the ruthless barbarian horde and forced to become a savage warrior, determined to kill her captor, Sanja. But when the dog-headed crossroads demon Rainier takes a liking to Conann, she is set on a path of endless brutality that Rainier can’t help but document through his low-brow photography. As Conann carves a bloody trail of carnage through time and space, the woman and her dog begin to reflect on the nature of life and the death she’s wrought.
A Variety interview mentioned that She is Conann was the third entry in what you could call Mandico’s “Afterlife Trilogy”, with The Wild Boys representative of Paradise, After Blue being Purgatory, and Conann Inferno. So does Mandico’s cinematography communicate this well, with its monochrome settings varying from a medieval wasteland to the Bronx in 1998, to…well, literally hell? Absolutely.
BEHIND THE CAMERA, BERTRAND MANDICO CAN’T LOSE
Everything about this movie just works visually, and even when its props or set design is more fitting for a theatrical production, it has a real charm to it. Its depictions of the ancient world, the rainy city streets, and art deco spaces in a deviant far future have a unique flair in their unreality. Bursts of color are saved for intermittent flashes of emotion Conann has throughout the film. A lesser director would make that feel a bit on the nose or overused, but when the technicolor strikes through, it catches you off guard and hammers home the message of what exactly is happening to Conann without having to say a word.
The film’s story and editing are much more linear than I anticipated, which means Conann’s most radical choice is the one I didn’t think much of before watching: having six different actresses portray Conann throughout her life. Movies that talk about the radical change of growing as a human rarely make a decision this bold, but Mandico gives form to the struggles of change in a simple but clever way.
PERFORMANCES THAT CUT LIKE A SWORD
It’s made all the better by the fact that not a single one of the six different actresses who portray Conann fails to deliver. Every one of them is incredible and nails the role they’re given; six distinct iterations of the character, so similar yet so far apart, each with their own quirks and mannerisms that they take on as they age. Sandra Parfait, who plays Conann at age 35, is by and large my favorite: she has this air of true confidence you only see in golden age movie stars (Gene Kelly as Serafin comes to mind), and her smooth, suave performance comes through the camera effortlessly.
Rainier’s actress Elina Löwensohn, who also starred in the great 1994 vampire film Nadja, steals the show as Conann’s loyal lapdog of death. She makes a character you love to hate, and even more rare one you hate to like as much as you do; nasty, uncouth, and hopelessly “in love” (if you could call it love). Though stuck in heavy facial prosthetics, Löwensohn’s line delivery is so energetic and comedic timing so impeccable that it didn’t hinder her performance in the slightest.
BLADES, GUNS, AND FISTS DELIVER PLENTY OF GORE
And it’s the Brooklyn Horror Film Festival, so I need to mention that the film’s horror elements don’t disappoint. From ripping swords out of people, wounds that never quite heal, and grotesque mutations, the blood flows free like wine into Conann’s proverbial cup. That’s not to mention the existential horrors of war and all the gratuitous bloodshed that comes with it, which drives the film’s more philosophically disturbing aspects. The final set piece, which, from what I could tell, was entirely practical, is no laughing matter either. Since I can’t technically spoil it, I’ll say that between this and Cannibal Mukbang, there’s a lot to chew on this year in the SFX department.
WHAT IS BEST IN LIFE? CHANGE
When I introduced this film in our BHFF curtain raiser, I mentioned that I was excited because I loved the Conan mythos. By the end of the film, She is Conann is an unrecognizable departure from the source of inspiration. Robert E. Howard could never have predicted his character could inspire such a radical adaptation, and that is ultimately what makes me like it.
She is Conann reads as a film made by someone who loves Conan the Barbarian but hates the mire of copyright nonsense that has kept such a beloved pop culture figure in a cage. It becomes a story about the cyclical nature of characters who aren’t allowed to truly grow into someone different, and how making the same mistakes over and over is a hell of its own. The same way no one chains Conan and lives to tell the tale, She is Conann and refuses to be limited, and that’s why you need to see it.
***
This is usually the part where I would say, “Get out and go to the theatres to catch this film right now”, but this is part of our coverage of Brooklyn Horror Film Festival 2023! This is definitely a movie you want on your radar, so keep your eyes peeled for it!
If you’re not watching Indonesian horror, you’re missing out. The region is producing some of the craziest genre movies around right now, thanks in no small part to the efforts of writer-director Joko Anwar. His latest, Ghost in the Cell, which celebrated its North American premiere at Fantastic Fest 2026, combines everything we love about the filmmaker’s work—supernatural scares, inventive kills, and gnarly gore—along with a strong vein of comedy and political satire.
What is Ghost in the Cell About?
Ghost in the Cell centers around Dimas (Endy Arfian), a journalist whose life falls apart after he tries to run a story on corporate corruption and mysterious worker deaths. Wrongfully convicted of the horrific murder of his boss, Dimas finds himself with a one-way ticket to Cell Block C, where he quickly meets a colorful cast of prisoners—the good, the bad, and the seriously nasty. Among the good guys, there’s Anggoro (Abimana Aryasatya), who is constantly getting into trouble for defending fellow inmates, and Six (Yoga Pratama), who claims he can see people’s auras.
As if Dimas’ situation couldn’t get any worse, his arrival seems to trigger a series of brutal killings in the prison. Bodies are showing up mangled beyond recognition and displayed in positions that wouldn’t look out of place in Hannibal. It soon becomes clear that Dimas isn’t behind the murders, which begs the question: what did he bring in with him?
Anwar Embraces Horror-Comedy Whole-Heartedly
Prison is a scary place, and Anwar makes great use of the setting, with the action moving from the dingy showers where predators lurk to the bleak cellblock where inmates are at the mercy of their captors and the cafeteria where rival gangs eye each other up with ill intent.
But for all the human misery contained within the film, Ghost in the Cell is ultimately a horror-comedy, one that isn’t afraid to lean into broad slapstick and quippy dialogue when it wants to raise a chuckle. The tonal shifts can take a little while to adjust to, especially if your previous experience with Anwar comes from his more serious horror outings like Impetigore. This might be a problem if the film wasn’t actually funny, but Ghost in the Cell has enough laugh-out-loud moments to make you forget about any whiplash.
Ghost in the Cell Is a Genre-Bender to the Max
Comedy isn’t the only new flavor that Anwar has tossed into the mix. In Ghost in the Cell, dance sequences and martial-arts fight choreo sit side-by-side with some of the most extreme gore scenes seen outside a Terrifier movie in recent years. Then there’s the eerie way the spirit presents before it kills (trypophobia sufferers, beware) and the extensive critique of political corruption, power, and inequality. It’s an everything-and-the-kitchen-sink approach that shouldn’t work on paper, but under Anwar’s assured hand, it does.
It helps that for all the slapstick, the film lands a surprisingly earnest message, amplified by its vast ensemble cast. Dimas and Anggoro at times feel like main characters, but everyone in Ghost in the Cell has a big part to play, and that’s the point: in seemingly impossible circumstances, there’s strength in unity.
Ghost in the Cell Is an Endlessly Entertaining Blend of Goofiness, Heart, and Gore
If you’re looking for nonstop scares, you won’t find them in Ghost in the Cell. What you will find is a delightful blend of horror, comedy, and action that is apt to leave you grinning from ear to ear.
The film doesn’t skimp on the gore, throwing flesh and fluids at every surface. But it’s also charmingly goofy, with a cast that doesn’t take itself too seriously and a script that’s all too happy to devolve into a comedic dance scene when it feels like the spirit might strike. In every sense, Anwar is doing the most, and the end result is a film where there’s nary a dull moment in sight.
One of the great pleasures of attending Fantastic Fest is the ability to occasionally see movies that won’t be out for many months. That’s especially true with the Secret Screenings, which this year included a work-in-progress print of In a Violent Nature 2, a film that doesn’t even have a release date yet and made for a wildly entertaining midnight movie surprise.
While a few things may change between now and release, the cut shown at Fantastic Fest felt near-final. Here’s what you can look forward to when this sequel eventually slashes its way onto our screens.
Johnny Returns in In a Violent Nature 2
In a Violent Nature 2 picks up right where the action of its predecessor left off, while also introducing new aspects of the lore that slightly contradict or complicate what has already been established, a nod to the way that slasher sequels throw in new plot elements willy-nilly to suit their needs.
The second film centers on Alex (Lucas Nguyen), a quiet 14-year-old kid who misses the bus home from camp because his bullies have stuffed him in a trunk. Since his older sister works at the camp, he gets to hang out for the night while the counselors celebrate the end of the season. Unfortunately, an old fireman’s whistle has drawn the mute, hulking Johnny (Ry Barrett) to the camp—and before long, their night of revelry has turned into one of unimaginable horror.
Less Walking, More Killing
Chris Nash, who wrote and directed the first film, handles scripting duties this time around, with Nate Wilson—who served as first assistant director on the original—stepping into the director role. It feels as though Nash may have listened to viewers’ complaints about how much walking was in the original, because In a Violent Nature 2 takes a break from following Johnny on his lumbering mission. Instead, the camera largely chases Alex through the woods as he runs, trips, and stumbles away from the carnage.
This change is a mixed bag. Alex may be more a dynamic figure to follow overall, but he also makes some frustratingly poor choices, and his teenage moodiness makes him a little unlikeable. The first film also succeeded, in part, because it consciously played into how audiences consume slasher movies, with their sympathies shifting from cheering on the killer to rooting for the final girl when she triumphantly emerges. In a Violent Nature 2 feels like less of a meta-commentary on the slasher genre, though it still has plenty to offer fans of the genre, especially when it comes to kills.
In a Violent Nature 2 Takes the Gore to a Whole New Level
Mention In a Violent Nature to a horror fan and they’ll probably bring up the yoga kill within 10 seconds. For the sequel, Nash and Wilson attempt to up the ante—no small feat considering just how violent the first film was. It’s hard to top that particular kill, but In a Violent Nature 2 certainly gives it the old college try.
Shifting the focus from a single group of friends to an entire summer camp, even one that’s emptying out, instantly ups the potential body count (and harkens back to the slasher films of yore). Counsellors are slaughtered in droves, in ways more brutal than anything seen in the original film, with a few kills in particular sure to get people talking. It’s a real treat for fans of practical effects, and it’s great to see that even horror films positioning themselves as more “elevated” than the typical fare can have fun and get their hands bloody.
A Possible Set up for Another Sequel?
Minor spoilers ahead.
In a Violent Nature 2 feels like something of a response to the reception of the first film, removing what people didn’t like and piling on more of what they did. The result is a movie that feels a little less focused and meditative than its predecessor, but still incredibly fun. And with a third film heavily teased in the final minutes, it seems like we’ll be seeing more of Johnny in the near future. Based on the trajectory of other slashers, can we expect to see him fighting a psychic child next? Or—dare we dream—is he preparing for a trip to space?
Only time will tell. Better lace up your walking shoes.
When Does In a Violent Nature 2 Come Out?
In a Violent Nature 2 is slated to hit theaters sometime in 2026. Keep an eye on IFC Films and Shudder’s socials for more release information as it becomes available.
