Watch at Home: ‘Horse Girl’ & more from female filmmakers

Alison Brie appears in Horse Girl
Alison Brie appears in Horse Girl by Jeff Baena, an official selection of the Premieres program at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival. Courtesy of Sundance Institute.

FF2 Media’s new “Watch at Home” columns list the new films written and/or directed by women filmmakers that are newly available each week on DVD, Video On Demand &/or streaming services.

Here are the new films written and/or directed by women filmmakers now available at home as of 2/17/2020 (with links to FF2 Media reviews posted the week of their theatrical release):

  • Horse Girl – Alison Brie (co-writer) (Netflix)
  • Last Christmas – Emma Thompson (co-writer)

DANIELLE’S TOP PICK OF THE WEEK

This week’s selection is Horse GirlHorse Girl features a superb performance from writer-star Alison Brie while the film also has something to say about mental illness.

Sarah (Alison Brie) works at an arts and crafts store with Joan (Molly Shannon).  While it pays the bills, Sarah would rather be taking care of her favorite horse or watching her favorite supernatural TV show.  Much to the dismay of roommate Nikki (Debby Ryan), of course.  Nikki does her best to get Sarah to meet her boyfriend’s roommate, Darren (John Reynolds).  It isn’t long after we first meet Sarah that she starts to have dreams that are very vivid in nature.  On first glance, it looks like it might be a serious case of sleep-walking but there’s more than just that.

The large majority of this cast comes from a comedy background.  Despite their background, this film is certainly not a comedy.  I mean, there are aspects of humor in the film but it plays more to the dramatic side.  I’d probably classify it as a dark comedy if anything.  Speaking of the humor, there are times where you can’t help but laugh.  Given the film’s aspect with regards to mental illness, you also can’t help but feel bad for laughing.  I know, I know–but it’s true!  I’ll add that Alison Brie delivers in her performance.  Brie’s performance is also able to elicit some empathy from the audience.  You can’t help but feel for Sarah especially with what she’s going through.

Click HERE for my full review.

© Danielle Solzman (2/7/20) FF2 Media

Featured photos from Horse Girl EPK
Photo Credits: Sundance Institute

Tags: Alison Brie, Horse Girl

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Danielle Solzman is a Chicago-based film critic and an aspiring filmmaker if she can ever put enough time aside to work on her feature-length trans-led political comedy script. When not in Chicago, she attends various film festivals such as Sundance, SXSW, Tribeca, and Toronto. She graduated from Northern Kentucky University with a BA in Public Relations while earning a Masters in Media Communications from Webster University after writing a thesis paper on comic books against the backdrop of the American political culture.
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