SHE RISES is sexy, dangerous and unpredictable. When a director, Conor (Angus Macfadyen) and lead actor, Kat (Jennifer Blanc) take a break from filming they to hospice at a local resident’s shack. Their host, Rosebud (Daisy McCrackin) appears to be sweet and innocent until the pair turn on her but unbeknownst to the couple, she may have a sinister streak of her own.

 

From the outset, SHE RISES plays to horror convention quoting many lines of horror classics throughout and the clever casting of director and actress plays to the film’s stark reality. Lony Ruhmann’s story may be somewhat unconventional, often bending fiction with a reality in joke shared by Hollywood’s film makers but it is a gripping one nevertheless. There are moments of SHE RISES that are really unnerving and those moments are mostly delivered by Michael Biehn’s on screen drama.

 

Taking a break from the familiar all action hero, Biehn plays a role that has no voice but plenty of presence as he intervenes on Conor’s plan to ruin the innocence of his host. Playing to her charm, Conor soon learns that sometimes the sweetest fruit isn’t always the nicest. Amidst the supernatural turmoil at play in Carrell’s film, SHE RISES is strongest when the focus is on its central characters strong character development, especially between Macfadyen and Blanc, is essential viewing and behind a veil of innocence, McCrackin’s performance is as hypnotising as it is seductive.

 

Despite a comparatively low budget, this is a film that rinses the best out of each character thanks to a tight script and performance from its lead actors. For fans of horror this is a must see, not only is it a gripping watch from start to end but also an important piece of cinema that proves that independent horror still lives on. SHE RISES does not fit convention and is madness incarnate but it all feels akin to the films nature. Instead of standing to horror traits, SHE RISES tears into a bizarre world where reality and confusion blend into one.