(dir. Lucky McKee)
 |
| Lionsgate |
*First time viewing
All May wants is a friend, and if she can’t find one,
she’ll make one…piece by piece.
May’s
offbeat tone takes some viewer adjustment. In fact, it was a half hour or so
before I finally decided I was enjoying the movie. May plays like a rom-com, but the romances never come to fruition
and the comedy is often too uncomfortable to actually laugh at. Every single
one of May’s awkward attempts to find companionship, whether humorous or
horrific, are tinged with sadness. It’s the emotional complexity of the
formally bullied May, played by Angela Bettis, that grounds the film throughout
her strange romantic entanglements and her progression from odd to insane.
Co-stars Jeremy Sisto and Anna Faris are equally given complex motivations and
despite their respective romances and break-ups with May, they aren’t turned
into easy villains in May’s story. While the film’s heightened take on
personality prevents any of the characters from feeling like people you’d
encounter in the world, the emotional reality of their actions display a
complexity and honesty that many movies, romantic-comedy or horror, are
severely lacking. When things get bloody, and oh boy do they get bloody, McKee
still keeps the tone and emotional balance intact. Instead of leaving viewers
to anticipate gore and gleefully enjoy the kill scenes, he leaves them
sympathetic of May’s loneliness.
Scare Factor: 2/5 May
gets gory, but the horror here is based on the very human fear of being
unloved. Sad, charming, and occasionally beautiful, May likely won’t be what you expect, but it’ll tug on your
heartstrings for some time to come.
**Available on HBO Go
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