May (2002)

May (Angela Bettis) is a socially awkward misfit who is self-conscious about her lazy eye, and whose only real friend is an eerie doll her mother gave her as a child. Obsessed with "perfect" body-parts, she tries to forge a romantic connection with a slightly scummy mechanic (Jeremy Sisto) and later her lesbian co-worker (Anna Faris), but both fail miserably in no small part due to her complete inability to grasp interpersonal relationships. Left damaged and pushed beyond her breaking point, May decides that if she can't find a real friend, she will create the perfect one by any means necessary.

Deftly mixing a battery of tones and emotions, writer/director Lucky McKee's "May" runs the gamut between dark comedy, tragedy and pure gothic horror, and it juggles these genres with a sense of style and wit that you don't see too much in mainstream horror. It's a very cool, calculated, confident film that might just be one of the great underrated thrillers of recent memory, along the same lines as overlooked cult-classics like "Ginger Snaps" and "Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon."

McKee's script it tight and concise, with characters that are defined and have a sense of depth. The pacing is excellent, with the film having a sense of deliberation that builds and builds towards the final act. And McKee's direction is top-notch. The film is beautifully told, with quirky visual touches and solid storytelling. It's a very competently made film, and it made me want to seek out McKee's other work.

Star Bettis commands the screen in a remarkable turn as our devilish and yet deeply sympathetic lead. She plays May pitch perfect - you will be repulsed and disgusted by her actions, and yet there's a deep sense of humanity to her. She's absolutely crazy, but it's not her fault. She's just as much a victim as, well her victims. I was also quite taken with Faris, who is perhaps best known for her roles in dopey comedies such as Scary Movie and the popular sitcom Mom. I've always liked Faris despite not being a fan of much of her work, and she's a ton of fun as May's very unsubtle (and very randy) co-worker with a crush. And Sisto to his credit puts in a memorable turn as the first target of May's affection. He's an odd character, and isn't very likeable, but Sisto makes the most of the part.

At the end of the day, it's a bit of a tragedy that this film is so overlooked. Even as a major enthusiast of the horror genre, I wasn't aware of the film's existence until it was recommended to me by someone and they only knew about it because it was recommended to them by someone else. It seems very much to be a word-of-mouth movie that's slowly been spreading over the last twenty years. But it's a film that deserves so much more - it's clever, sharp and extremely well-executed, and its lead is endlessly endearing despite her actions. Here's to hoping that as time continues to move on, more and more people will discover this hidden gem.

I'm giving "May" an excellent 4.5 out of 5. (Rounding up to a 5 for MovieMistakes).

TedStixon