The New Low-Budget Horror Certified 100% Fresh That’s Texas Chain Saw Meets the Substance
While everyone and their dog remain fixated on Obsession, the horror world continues to provide a wide range of new genre offerings.
Of the newest crop of titles, the super independent Frankie, Maniac Woman is one to seek out. Directed by Pierre Tsigaridis and co-written by Tsigaridis and lead actress Dina Silva, the film is the definition of low-budget filmmaking. Due to a lack of funds, the pair undertook almost all of the production roles themselves; but the result of their hard work is stunning, with the film currently holding onto a 100% Rotten Tomatoes score.
Early festival reviews of Frankie, Maniac Woman drew comparisons to The Texas Chain Saw Massacre and The Substance, and it’s easy to see why. The poster image of the eponymous Frankie makes her look like Leatherface’s long-lost sister, and the film's exploration of issues around body standards easily aligns with themes in The Substance.
Here's what you need to know about the film, and how to watch it.
What Frankie, Maniac Woman Is About, And How To Watch It
Frankie, Maniac Woman stars Dina Silva as Frances ‘Frankie’ Ramirez, a talented singer living in Los Angeles. Although Frankie has the vocals of an angel, as far as the music industry is concerned, she is a non-starter due to her larger body shape. Much like the movie industry, the music business is built on the outdated belief that thin is better. After being overlooked and ridiculed one too many times, Frances snaps, birthing 'Frankie' into the world.
Unlike other female rage and revenge movies, Frankie, Maniac Woman does not feature Frankie hacking her way through the male population. Although there are some male victims, Frankie instead starts targeting the woman who society views as better than her. It’s a direction that has ruffled some feathers, but it works insofar as it highlights how savage women can be to one another.
The crux of The Substance focused on ‘the balance’ and how both Elizabeth and Sue could have co-existed were they to have allied. Frankie, Maniac Woman demonstrates that those women who buy into the toxic beauty standards are as much to blame as the industry itself.
An important note about Frankie, Maniac Woman is that although it is tackling some timely and important topics, this is a film that is not afraid to get a little silly. A spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down, and so the film's more humourful moments insidiously work to convey Silva and Tsigaridis’ message. The blending of brutal violence mixed with high-camp comedy, along with its provocative themes, explains why no studio was brave enough to snap up Frankie, Maniac Woman.
Instead, Pierre Tsigaridis has taken a leaf out of Iron Lung’s director Mark Fischbach’s book by self-distributing the movie, which is available now on both Apple TV and Prime Video.
Why Frankie Is Set To Be The New Leatherface
One of the most memorable things about The Texas Chain Saw Massacre’s Leatherface is his appearance. Loosely inspired by serial killer Ed Gein, Leatherface wears the face of one of his victims over his own. Frankie also wears a mask, and though not one made of flesh, it still makes for an equally striking visage. Frankie finds her mask in a shop and then uses make-up to beautify it. When worn on Silva’s head, the result is startling and unsettling. Horror movies are often judged by the standard of their masked killer. Frankie’s face and desperate ferocity easily match that of Leatherface.
Iconic slasher killers have been a boys club for too long, and one can only hope that Frankie can ascend to their ranks.
The Movie That Inspired Frankie, Maniac Woman
During the press for Frankie, Maniac Woman, director Pierre Tsigaridis shared several movies that inspired the project. In addition to the obvious The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and The Substance, another key text was the original Maniac movie.
Directed by William Lustig, the 1980 movie follows a psychopathic man who goes on a killing and mutilation spree in New York City. The film was famously remade with Elijah Wood in the role of ‘Maniac’. Though it housed a very different message, the influence of William Lustig’s Maniac is plain to see, from the nod in Frankie’s title to the similar base plot; just exchange man for woman, and New York for Los Angeles, and the Maniac DNA is clear.
The French director has also cited the violence seen in New French Extremity movies such as Martyrs and High Tension as an inspiration for Frankie, Maniac Woman’s gnarlier moments.
What To Watch After Frankie, Maniac Woman
Frankie, Maniac Woman is sure to leave you with an urge for more movies that explore feminine rage, and luckily there is a whole sub-genre of movies exploring that scenario. Some of the best include Carrie, Pearl, and Thelma and Louise.
Carrie is based on the Stephen King novel and sees a bullied and isolated teen reap bloody vengeance during her high-school prom; while Pearl is a harrowing character study of a young woman who refuses to accept a life she doesn’t deserve and so, after being denied her dream of stardom, takes up a murderous hobby. Thelma and Louise is less horror-coded than the other two, but that does not diminish its power. Best friends Thelma and Louise take a girls’ trip, only for it to end with a body count and police chase as they take down the toxic men in their lives.
For those craving more of Dina Silva - who gives an incredible performance in Frankie - she can be found in Pierre Tsigaridis’ feature debut, Two Witches. Another female-focused story, Two Witches follows the lives of two young women as they become embroiled with a malevolent witch.
And, if you catch Two Witches after Frankie, you might as well complete Pierre Tsigaridis’ triple bill and check out Traumatika. A real rollercoaster of a horror movie, Traumatika traverses time and tones to tell the story of a demonic possession that leaves scars across generations.
