‘Sheryl’ Panic Fest 2024 Review: One Woman’s Bloody Quest for Perfection
We’ve come to expect a certain kind of gender dynamic from serial killer films. As in, we know they’re typically about troubled white men with traumatic pasts and mommy issues. But with his new film Sheryl, writer and director Justin Best takes a different perspective on the serial killer with the titular villain hunting down women first for her boyfriend and then for her own desire to craft the perfect face. Sheryl is a welcome inversion of the typical slaughter fest and while it tries to interrogate misogyny, both internal and external, the script is ultimately a skin-deep but stylish examination of gender dynamics in today’s image-obsessed society.
Sheryl (Anthea Neri Best) is introduced through a sultry opening montage where she’s dressing up for what looks like a hot date, complete with stilettos, carefully chosen accessories, and the perfect shade of red lipstick. But the date is a little unorthodox: it’s a group slaughter with her murderer boyfriend Ted (Shaan Sharma) and another couple. You see, Sheryl is dating a serial killer and follows in his footsteps to appease him. Oh, and he’s the absolutely worst, a scumbag Patrick Bateman sociopath with an over-inflated ego and way too much money. After a murder goes wrong, the two break up and Sheryl realizes she still has blood lust, but this time for women with what she deems perfect facial features. She goes on a killing spree to construct a mask reminiscent of Leatherface himself but with her own demented Hollywood twist.
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It’s a fascinating story concept and a clever way to interrogate misogyny through both the popular true-crime-adjacent subgenre and an exploration of female rage. There are a lot of great ideas that never go below the surface, which isn’t surprising with its short 70-minute runtime. While perhaps due to budget constraints, the script doesn’t give much depth to any of its characters, operating mostly in tropes and stereotypes that make it difficult to connect to anyone on screen.
Yes, Sheryl’s feelings of dysphoria and self-hatred are unfortunately rather universal experiences for those who navigate the world as women. But while the experience is identifiable, Sheryl feels flat, only reinforcing her shallowness in a way that doesn’t necessarily support the film’s thesis about internalized misogyny. However, I understand indie budgets don’t always allow for in-depth character studies and the team does what they can to make a film that’s interesting and stylish.
Anthea Neri Best as Sheryl is exceptional as she digs in to go from perfectly put-together to feral femme. She sucks you in with her rage which is why it’s disappointing that the script doesn’t always support the depths she’s willing to go. Regardless, it’s an incredible performance about a different kind of serial killer.
Sheryl would ultimately benefit from being a short film or expanding its runtime. This is solely because I want more of this world and to better understand our cast of characters as more than just archetypical versions of femininity and masculinity. Interesting ideas and a strong central performance make this a film worth watching as Justin Best works to craft a unique narrative about what it means to navigate the world as a woman.
Summary
Sheryl is a skin-deep but stylish examination of gender dynamics in today’s image-obsessed society.
