[Fantasia 2023] PIAFFE -- An Alluring and Erotic Experimental Horror

Review by Sean Boelman

Best described as a mixture of Censor and She Dies Tomorrow, with a bit of Under the Skin thrown in for good measure, Ann Oren’s Piaffe is unabashedly weird, intriguing as hell, and exquisitely shot. In other words, it’s exactly what one would want from an experimental horror film.

The movie follows a woman who, after taking over her sibling’s foley job, begins to grow a horse tail. It’s an extremely weird premise, and while it could have been used in a straightforward way, Oren crosses a couple genres — both obvious and less so — to create an experience that is at once alluring, unsettling, and erotic.

As is the case with many experimental films, the pacing is extremely slow. There are long stretches where the protagonist is just doing foley work or examining herself in the mirror. Yet, Oren is able to establish such an effective atmosphere that it is entirely transfixing — even in its most simple moments.

On the one hand, you have the parts of this movie that are just vibes — where the protagonist is making foley or going out on the town trying to find a place of belonging — but there is also a body horror aspect. Even though the film is not particularly grotesque or disturbing, that anxiety is constantly looming in the background.

Thematically, one might almost worry that this bites off more than it can chew, considering that it explores topics like control, sexuality, gender, and more. However, in exploring these themes rather ambiguously, Oren manages to avoid the type of exposition that would lead a film to feel overstuffed.

The movie is inarguably a huge success on a visual level, largely thanks to phenomenal 16mm cinematography by Carlos Vasquez. It gives the film a very airy, surreal quality that goes well with the outlandish nature of the story. The use of color — especially during the club scenes — is also fantastic. And, of course, given that the movie is about foley, one would expect superb sound design, and Piaffe delivers.

Simone Bucio’s performance in the leading role is pretty wild. The expressiveness she has with her movements and facial expressions is brilliant, which is important given the film’s frequent stretches with little dialogue. Her mannerisms allow her to wonderfully embody the transformation the character goes through in a physical way. 

Piaffe is not just one of the best experimental horror movies of the year — it’s one of the best films of the year, period. Although your mileage may vary depending on how willing you are to buy into its abstract wavelength, it’s a thought-provoking, aesthetically beautiful film that its niche audience will undoubtedly vibe with. 

Piaffe screened at the 2023 Fantasia Film Festival, which runs from July 20 to August 9.

​Rating: 5/5