Perpetrator

Wayward teen Jonny (Kiah McKirnan) is sent away to live with a distant relative, Hildie (Alicia Silverstone), despite going so far as to commit theft to reduce the financial burden on her struggling single father. At her new school, an unusual number of girls appear to have recently gone missing, and the principal (Chris Lowell) takes a perverse pleasure in practising active shooter drills with his students. Endowed with a particularly strong sense of empathy, Jonny sets out to uncover the truth behind these strange occurrences.

Director Jennifer Reeder returns to the Berlinale (having premiered her Generation thriller, Knives and Skin, in 2019) with a forcefully feminist body-horror meets coming-of-age tale that will instantly wow genre fans – and potentially offend more traditionalist festivalgoers, if the walkouts at early press screenings are anything to go by. Mirroring elements of Raw and Crimes of the Future, the subversive, blood-soaked images are not for the fainthearted, however, the tone of the story is youthful and lighthearted. The palate-tickling mix of sweet and gory (consolidated on screen in a fateful birthday cake) is somewhat evocative of current hit show Wednesday, but it never feels anything but ardently original.

Laden with symbolism and unexpected turns, Perpetrator eagerly invites different interpretations of metaphors and multiple viewings to pick up on elusive details to complete the picture.

The cinematography by Sevdije Kastrati (the first female DOP from Kosovo) is iridescent, supported by effects in the edit, and even takes on kaleidoscopic elements to complete the nightmarish vision of a rite of passage. Likewise, the ensemble cast is altogether vibrant, feeding off each other, but breakout star McKirnan naturally stands out, as she effortlessly navigates her charismatic outsider lead role and proves she is one to keep an eye on.

Selina Sondermann

Perpetrator does not have a UK release date yet.

Read more reviews from our Berlin Film Festival 2023 coverage here.

For further information about the event visit the Berlin Film Festival website here.