The Water Cure by Sophie Mackintosh was recommended by a great friend of mine. This twisted dystopian tale also follows a family; A mother, father, and their three girls. They are isolated from all others and are raised to fear men. They believe they live in a world where men are actually toxic to them and go through a number of strange rituals and exercises to protect themselves in the event that their home is violated by men. The father disappears leaving the women alone but things become complicated when three men land on their shores and their training is put to the test. This is a dark and twisted fairytale that is brilliantly executed. It is one of my favorite reads in recent years. Mackintosh is truly a fascinating voice in modern fiction.
Darkness also known as Buio in its native land of Italy was released overseas in 2019. However I was able to see it showcased for the first time at the Final Girls Berlin Film Festival. The story is about three girls who are told by their father that they are not able to leave the house anymore. According to him the sun has become too strong and only men are able to go outside. The girls spend their days indoors playing pretend and dreaming about what a normal life could be like. Stella, the oldest sister is the only one old enough to really remember what life outside their house was like and longs for that normalcy. Their lives change forever when their father disappears and they must decide whether they can brave the outdoors to survive. This was an endlessly fascinating film that I fell in love with at the festival.
The two stories have quite a lot in common with one another. The young women grow up in a world that they have little access to and are forced to believe what their parents tell them. They are at the whims of men who tell them how they must live in order to survive in the world. Little or no decisions are left for them to make on their own and they must simply believe what they are told. It is fascinating how much these two have in common especially in the social issues they bring forth. Yet both are unique and have very different narratives. They are both crafted by women who have much to say when it comes to the patriarchal society that we live in.
The Neon Banshee 