My History With the Film:
May is one of those films from the early 2000s that I saw at the video store a lot but never watched. I had no idea what the film was about or even who was in it. Sometime around 2015 when I began having an urge to go back and watch those late 90’s/early 2000’s horror films that I missed out on, May was one that came to mind. The cover art was memorable and that was enough to sell me on watching the film.
What The Film Is About (Non-Spoiler):
A socially awkward veterinary assistant with a lazy eye and obsession with perfection descends into depravity after developing a crush on a boy with perfect hands.
What I Liked About It:
-Angela Bettis (May) is flat out amazing. She makes the movie worth watching and her portrayal as the lonely, socially awkward loner is utterly fantastic and should be discussed more in the horror community. You feel empathy for her, while simultaneously fearing her. She shows off some range throughout the film and it truly is one of the most memorable horror performances that I’ve seen in a very long time.
-Jeremy Sisto (Adam) and Anna Farris (Polly) co-star and both are great as well. All three put on convincing and memorable performances, which makes this movie worth watching.
-May is a slow burn that for a portion of the film comes across as a early 2000’s indie romance film about a loner who falls in love with her crush as he helps her come out of her shell. Then it turns and it turns so good.
-The best part about May is that it feels like it’s real. Thanks to Angela Bettis’ performance, you can imagine a young girl slowly losing it after years of abuse. This makes it almost uncomfortable to watch at times, because you feel so much for May and just wish she had a proper cheerleader in her life.
-There is a scene with broken glass that is uncomfortable to watch. Well… the entire movie is really uncomfortable to watch but this scene was just a little more intense.
What I Didn’t Like About It:
-While the slow burn is paid off well by the ending, it does take quite a long time to get started with the horror. My interest started to wane a little just after the middle.
Additional Notes:
-The teenager who asks May if she has “any cold one sin there” is dressed in the same Cheerleader outfit from the director’s first movie All Cheerleaders Die.
-The director Lucky McKee has directed several low budget horror films including: The Woods, The Woman, and the segment “Ding Dong” from Tales of Halloween.
Rating:
May was not what I expected at all, it was better. It was almost a character study into madness and in a way, you could relate it more to say Taxi Driver or The Joker than most 90’s and 2000’s horror films. I enjoyed my time with May and the film made an Angela Bettis fan out of me.
If you are into slow burn, character pieces with dismemberment and gore, you’ll love May. I rate May a three out of five and say it’s worth a rental.