The Eyes of My Mother (Nicolas Pesce, 2016): USA

The film that made me connect with a serial killer, Francisca. Although I find black and white and films to be extinct and only applicable to films that were created when color was not a possibility. The film is completely in black and white but no detail is spared by the director, Nicolas Pesce.The story of the serial killer is told from the killers eyes not the victim making this film very interesting and electrifying.

The director Nicolas Pesce at age 25 shows a dark twisted tale. The director although young in age does not spare detail ensuring the viewers full attention. I watched this movie in a screening of the AFI festival in The Egyptian Theater. The main character Francesca is played by Kika Magalhaes. Kika does a wonderful job of playing a sociopath from taking care of her victims and to pursing the kill.

The movie begins with a family composed of an older couple and the daughter Francesca in a self sustaining farm. The daughter appears to be lonely from the beginning she plays with her only doll. Francesca’s mother was a surgeon in brazil so she dehumanized her daughter to feel comfortable with blood and cutting the body.

The film uses the power of distorted sound and silence to promote thrilling emotion in the viewer. There were many shadows and lights used to hide and make things stand out. I thought it was a wonderful killers idea to stich up the victims eyes and cut out the vocal chords reminded me strongly of Kill Bill when the killer offers the young woman to be calm and he wont empty the can of spray on her eyes and then bury her alive. Taking the eye sight of another is like clipping the wings of a bird.

This film is highly interesting and will shows how killers are born.