THE EYES OF MY MOTHER American Independents

Director Nicolas Pesce’s debut feature fascinates with its combination of raw, brutal storytelling and elegant imagery. Beautifully lensed in black and white by cinematographer Zach Kuperstein, Pesce’s film immediately immerses the viewer in its Gothic atmosphere with a jarring act of violence that disrupts the seemingly bucolic life of a Midwestern Portuguese-American family. Francisca, the young daughter of a farmer and his surgeon wife, carries the effects of witnessing this terrible event into adulthood and perpetuates the cycle of violence to a chilling degree. Played with magnetic intensity by Kika Magalhães, the character of Francisca provides an uncommonly personal look at psychosis. While Pesce never pretends to understand or explain the roots of her actions, by planting the film squarely in Francisca’s point of view, he gives us an uncomfortable yet enthralling experience with this unique horror film. — Mike Dougherty