Fantastic Fest 2018 Review: ‘LadyWorld’

Fantastic Fest 2018 had a lot of movies vying for your attention, but LadyWorld was the only thing at Fantastic Fest that I could call an experience.

Amanda Kramer’s directorial debut is a brave and challenging attack on the audience’s psyche. She knows that she’s created a divisive movie and she’s damn proud of it – and she should be.

LadyWorld tells the story of 8 teenage girls who survive an off-screen earthquake. The title sequence is a black screen with actresses names appearing in small font in the corners while we hear the Earthquake happening. It’s impressive something so minimal can be so effective in setting a tone and building dread before a single shot of the film has been shown.

The eight girls, now trapped underground in a house start their survival game which quickly devolves into Lord of the Flies. No character is specifically good or bad but some are more bratty or cruel than others. Some characters start off likable but time and lack of food make them crazier and meaner, while others attempt to hold the moral high ground.

It’s simply incredible that Amanda Kramer managed to get such powerful and real performances out of the young cast. Each actress is absolutely fearless in their performance and all have the potential to be up and coming superstars in the future. That being said, the true star of LadyWorld has to be its sound design.

Throughout the movie, off in the distance you just hear constant rumbling that grows a feeling of doom and gloom as the film builds. On top of that the soundtrack is entirely acapella, and is scattered with sighs, yells, and vocal harmonies layered onto each other and other noises. While I doubt it was a direct influence, the soundtrack reminded me of the bizarre soundtrack Pino Donaggio did for the 1979 slasher film Tourist Trap.

Amanda Kramer has leaped to the top of my directors to follow list. I can not wait to see what she brings to us with her sophomore film.

At Fantastic Fest I had the opportunity to talk to Kramer about life, people and of course the movie LadyWorld. Give it a listen right here, and be on the lookout for more Fantastic Fest 2018 coverage.