I’ve always believed that places could be poisoned by the evil that occurred there: shuttered asylums, abandoned prisons, empty battlefields. I wonder now if the same rage and evil can be compelled into an object, as we see in this slasher thriller Bad Girl Boogey. 18-year old Australian director Alice Maio Mackay (with co-writing for this project provided by Benjamin Pahl Robinson) has been prolific creating horror, with another feature coming out this year and So Vam, a queer vampire tale, already in their rear view. This film focuses on a horror that the queer community deals with regularly: being targeted for their identity, and other timely themes, such as the idea of one’s bigotry being strong enough to create a curse that could affect others. Mackay opens up and gives us a slashing portrayal of horror and the story of a mask that gives its wearer the urge to seek out only particular targets. With a talented young cast, a cameo from horror icon Bill Moseley (The Devil’s Rejects), layered with current themes and proving that film doesn’t always need a large budget to speak well, Bad Girl Boogey is a thrilling entry.
Opening on three teens using a run-down house to perform a ritual, we see they have candles, salt, and all the trappings of black magic. The home’s previous owner supposedly dealt in the dark arts, “sacrificing babies’ and the like, as one of them speculates. The two girls chat as their male counterpart, already rude and demanding from the start, tells one of the girls, Blair (Em Bleby), to look for more salt. In her curiosity while searching the house, she finds a mask, dubbing it “creepy” but still choosing to put it on before bringing the salt back. Blair’s mannerisms change and she stops speaking, only snapping a photo of herself in the mask before going to a bag to fetch a small knife. When one of their friends returns from the restroom, all eyes and cruel words are on Blair for wearing the mask and supposedly sabotaging the ritual, but violence springs forth suddenly as she kills both her friends quickly and brutally. In neon colored confusion, Blair stumbles from the house clawing off the mask and sobbing, which leads us to the message, “Many Halloweens later…”
In a brighter lit, more present day, a young man is headed past a house heavily decorated for Halloween, and what’s waiting for him outside? Nothing other than the mask once again dubbed “creepy” by its discoverer, but held onto. This young man, Oscar, is headed to a doctor’s session, mandatory for his previous violent behavior. His doctor is hopeful that, even though his behavior and performance in school have declined lately, that he will see he’s not hopeless. But Oscar seems like a spiteful young man, and says he’s aware of his doctor’s secrets. He saw her with another woman, unbeknownst to her husband, and he heard her slurring her choices of venue to attend that night. She is immediately on the defensive and tells him to get out, with Oscar suddenly bewildered as to why he became so hateful.
Kicked out of the office, and with no light for his cigarette, he is drawn to the mask which initially causes him pain, but is soon put on and, with a little light CGI, the parasitic effect is marked as it takes on its next host. Oscar attacks and kills a clerk at a liquor store, obviously set off by his Pride apparel, and makes his way to his real victim. Ambushing the doctor in the parking lot, the violence reaches its peak so far in a horrifying scene as Oscar murders his doctor in stunning fashion that had me speechless, before running to the ocean, despondent at his actions, throwing the mask in, and bringing us to some very upbeat opening credits.
We are introduced to Angel (Lisa Fanto) and her friends, doing the typical teen hanging around, planning for the next night out, and watching their friends make questionable romantic choices. We establish early on that Angel is a fighter. When she is shoulder checked and flipped off by some meathead looking to slur and cause a stir, she is roused into action, flinging a bottle at him and damn near ready to throw hands. I love this character. And of course, when an authority figure at school gets involved, it’s always the party trying to defend themselves that looks like the aggressor, allowing the victimizer to walk away. These are scenes I saw play out at my own public school in my youth. Angel isn’t back at home for long before she’s on the road with her friend Lila (Prudence Cassar) to go dancing with their friend Dario (Iris Mcerlean), having a deep conversation about the death of her mother and the shame her queer identity brought on their family when it was discovered. Lila encourages Angel to believe in themselves; that Angel’s mother was being herself, even if it meant doing it in secret. The party turns to a wild, sweaty kaleidoscope of color and sound as the two indulge in substances to enhance their good time. However, we see there’s a hooded figure on the sidelines, watching the party intensely – and especially Lila, it seems.
Soaring soundtracks, popping colors in the night, and intense close ups bring us nearer to the feelings of our characters. The music selected by Alexander Taylor complements this very modern story and adds loads of feeling, and I’m a sucker for a soundtrack. All our major players in the cast are game through the gore and the emotion that is present in full force throughout the film. Fanto is a standout as the struggling but scrappy Angel, and carries her performance beautifully under the direction of MacKay. The themes of this parasitic object targeting those of queer community are timely to say the least, as someone hiding behind a mask attacks those trying to openly celebrate their identity. This hatred sown into the mask and used as a device to demonstrate bigotry and the effects even words or ideas have when thrown around carelessly is clever, and is an apt metaphor not only for how hate can poison, but how it can be contagious.
Tying together black magic and bigotry, the two friends work throughout the film to find the source of evil and hold on to themselves. Bad Girl Boogey keeps the intensity going throughout as well as the themes, telling a riveting tale of lifelong hatred that carries on after death. Mackay tells a story rooted in reality and elevated by this supernatural plot device to represent a greater societal imbalance. With some memorable kills, likable characters, and a breezy run time, Bad Girl Boogey is not a slasher to miss. With an inventive story, Mackay adds another queer horror entry to their list and to the genre, bending tropes and creating bloody imagery to last. If this is horror on Mackay’s small budget, I look forward to future works with more capital. Bad Girl Boogey is coming soon, just make sure to go in with an open heart and an empty stomach.
Bad Girl Boogey will screen at the Soho Horror Festival on the the 1st July 2024 (for more details click here). It is released on digital platforms on 4th July, and DVD on 11th July.