A Hen Party from Hell
"Kurtis David Harder’s Influencer, a wickedly entertaining, blood-soaked satire of the social media age, was the talk of Shudder in 2022. Meanwhile Down Under, writer-director team Kane Senes and Hannah Barlow came from behind with their own formidable entry into the Influencer From Hell subgenre. Like its older New Oz Horror cousin The Loved Ones, Sissy is a sparkly pink and girlish package bursting open to reveal throbbing red viscera and feminine rage. While the latter may not go nearly as hard as the former, Sissy both leans into its mean-spirited sense of fun and slots in some surprisingly brutal kills along the way. It’s also queer horror that’s sophisticated to examine the Bury Your Gays trope while also acknowledging, “Well, with assholes like these…” Shudder’s partner releases continue to impress. The transfer is excellent as expected and there’s plenty of after-show viewing in the extras. The slipcover is also of high quality, depicting journal entries that resemble Sissy’s discordant interior monologues slowly being engulfed by purple ooze, all rendered in spot gloss finishing. Sissy is queer horror done right. It’s dark and wonderfully nasty. And kinda cute."