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Alice Maio Mackay Sheds The Serpent’s Skin at Fantasia 2025

21 Monday Jul 2025

Posted by in Australian Horror

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Trans horror’s fiercest voice returns with her most personal and spellbinding film yet

Australian filmmaker Alice Maio Mackay returns to the Fantasia International Film Festival with the Canadian premiere of her latest genre-defying feature, The Serpent’s Skin, screening July 23 and 25. Already hailed as her most emotionally resonant and stylistically bold film to date, The Serpent’s Skin fuses supernatural romance with visceral horror, balancing the grotesque and the intimate in true Mackay fashion.

With nods to The Craft, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and Charmed, Mackay’s newest film conjures millennial teen nostalgia while grounding its witchy terror in the urgent realities of Gen-Z identity, trans survival, and queer resilience. The Serpent’s Skin follows Anna, a trans girl who escapes her stifling, bigoted hometown only to find both romance and horror in a new city—where she falls for goth tattoo artist Gen and accidentally unleashes a demon that begins feeding on their chosen family. What follows is a chilling exploration of trust, self-doubt, and love under supernatural pressure.

Mackay’s voice is unmistakable—raw, punk, defiantly queer—and in The Serpent’s Skin, she harnesses everything she’s learned across her rising career.

From her debut So Vam (2021), Mackay immediately caught the attention of the indie horror world. Described as “a perfect metaphor for transitions and change” and “crafted with a learned voice,” the film positioned Mackay as a filmmaker to watch. Her follow-up, Bad Girl Boogey (2023), was no less impactful—“gritty and raw,” it revealed a sharpened focus and a stronger command of message-driven horror, showing that Mackay could “resonate” beyond just subculture circles.

With T-Blockers (2024), she made perhaps her most personal statement yet. Reviewers called it “fresh,” “unifying,” and “awakening,” applauding how Mackay used her own lived experience to channel communal anger and hope, all while clearly “having a ball” pushing genre boundaries. Her rapid creative output continued with Satranic Panic, another bold and timely entry praised for placing “real characters dealing with real issues in surreal circumstances.”

Produced by Dark Star Pictures, the company that has stood behind each of Mackay’s last five films, The Serpent’s Skin stars Alexandra McVicker (Vice Principals), Scott Major (Heartbreak High), Charlotte Chimes (Neighbours), and Jordan Dulieu (Before Dawn). It also features Fantasia alumni cameos from Avalon Fast (Honeycomb), Joe Lynch (Suitable Flesh), and Betsey Brown (Assholes), with Emmy-nominated Vera Drew (The People’s Joker) returning as editor and Louise Weard (Castration Movie) joining as producer.

Premiering earlier this year at Frameline and heading next to FrightFest this August, The Serpent’s Skin is more than just a new chapter in Mackay’s filmography—it’s a culmination of her growth as a director, writer, and creative force. She’s built a canon that pulses with identity, rage, humour, and style, always speaking directly to those who need it most.

As she returns to Fantasia—a festival that helped champion her earliest work—it’s clear Alice Maio Mackay is no longer just a promising talent. She’s a defining voice in trans cinema and genre storytelling. And with The Serpent’s Skin, she reminds us that transformation, no matter how painful, can be power.

  • Saul Muerte

Movie Review: Satranic Panic (2024)

27 Tuesday Aug 2024

Posted by in Movie review

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If you haven’t heard the name Alice Maio Mackay being discussed in horror circles by now, then you need to wake up and smell the coffee. In the space of three years, Mackay has produced 4 movies with a fifth due before the close of the year. While one can question this kind of output and the quality involved, Mackay brazenly kids down the door with low-budget dynamics and more than makes up for this with down to earth, topical conversations under the guise of the horror genre, making for a powerful and relevant mouthpiece for the transgender community.

The latest feature to be presented by Mackay sees Aria (Cassie Hamilton) and Jay (Zarif) grieving for the loss of her brother and Jay’s boyfriend Max at the hands of a cult. Beneath the veil of the diva attitudes and larger than life persona that Aria carries though is an inner turmoil, lurking within. One that has her in tune with the darker elements that run riot in the underworld, and threaten to bring about the ride of demonkind. Part of this conflict also comes the mix of a tormented gift that allows Aria to sense when demons are near. Can Aria and Jay put aside their differences and the wedge that comes in the form of the mysterious Nell (Lisa Fanto), and conquer their demons?

While Satranic Panic may be the most straightforward feature from Mackay’s work so far, it certainly doesn’t shy away from the core themes of oppression, isolation and flipping the label of victim into one of assailants in order to regain the power that has been struck from the key protagonists. Hamilton scintillates on screen and packs a powerful portrayal of Aria. There’s moments of musical renditions as she storms the stage and grabs your attention. This is counterbalanced by the serene-yet-earnest Jay, proving to the back bone of the couple thrown together through their shared grief to overcome the obstacles and blatant privilege that confronts them day in day out. 

The Prognosis:

Another fine entry into Mackay’s canon of work so far. Real characters dealing with real issues in surreal circumstances. The performances are strong and once again Mackay calls the shots with a voice uniquely their own. 

  • Saul Muerte

Satranic Panic available to buy or rent now.

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Movie Review: So Vam (2021)

Movie Review: Bad Girl Boogey (2023)

Movie Review: T-Blockers (2024)

Movie Review: T Blockers (2024)

20 Wednesday Mar 2024

Posted by in Movie review

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For a debut feature So Vam served as a platform for Alice Maio Mackay to find her feet in the directing field and provide a voice among the transgender community. Her sophomore feature, Bad Girl Boogey would give the swagger to amplify Mackay’s creative vision. Now with her third outing T Blockers, Mackay hits her stride, packing in all her learnings thus far and fusing it all together with the same raw, guerilla approach to the storytelling.

This time around Mackay takes the theme of ostracisation by the jugular and exposes the truth behind the veil of hypocrisy that society or specific members therein feel they can hide behind to spout their archaic views. The main arrow slung though is towards a certain demographic among the cisgender population who hold rigid views on gender itself and through fear or violation feel the necessity to haunt or ridicule anyone who doesn’t fit their ideal mould. Telling indicators to this are embedded through the camp humour that Mackay utilises to convey her message citing JF Rowling and Andrew Tate in particular.

Propping up the intro and acting as a narrator at points throughout is a delightful nod to horror veteran Elvira, with a LGBTQIA+ flavour, casting Drag Race Down Under queen Etcetera Etcetera to tantalise the audience with witty and philosophical rhetoric.

We’re then pivoted into a world where the susceptible and those who feed off the fear inherently built up in society are prey to an ancient parasite and the more it consumes, the more hatred is then thrust back into the world. A young trans filmmaker, Sophie (Lauren Last) is struggling with their transition but discovers that they have an ability to sense those who have become possessed. Together with her bestie, Spencer (Lewi Dawson) and fellow members of the newly formed resistance, take on the threat and battle their way against the fray.

The Prognosis:

Each time they deliver, Mackay makes you sit up and take notice. Her fresh direct approach to storytelling is all the more significant as Mackay takes her own personal experiences to connect, unite and in some cases awaken a community. Plus you can tell that they are having a ball in the process, harnessing their skills and growing in strength in all areas of their creativity. This feels like their most personal story yet, but you can tell there is a lot more to come. I can’t wait to see more of Mackay’s journey behind the lens.

  • Saul Muerte

T Blockers will be available on VOD and DVD through Umbrella Entertainment from March 20. 

Movie review: Bad Girl Boogey (2023)

23 Friday Jun 2023

Posted by in Movie review

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Alice Maio Mscksy is fast making conversation with her much needed voice for the transgender community. Where she made a significant impact with her low budget directorial feature debut, So Vam, Mackay has evidently built on her learning to tackle her next outing, Bad Girl Boogey with a lot more swagger, and a tightly knit package from which to orchestrate her vision. There is still some edge to her guerilla style shooting tactics though to ground the supernatural narrative into a believable world, as she weaves a topical and relevant dialogue with characters that ooze raw appeal.

Using the slasher genre as her playing field, Mackay is able to cut to the bone on a subject that seems close to the heart; one of oppression and ostracisation. Where So Vam focused on the victimisation of drag queen culture through vampiric lore, Bad Girl Boogey opens up the vein of societies’ so-called misfits to expose the dark side that all of humanity is vulnerable to. In fact, the facade that is placed on the characters and us voyeurs to the ordeal, make us all subjectable to the atrocities when we are left to feed on these human deficiencies while  it is left to fester. We have masks that we wear, to try and conform to society, but if we rely on hiding behind them and not facing up to what it means to have empathy and understanding of our fellow People, then we’ll be forever doomed as a society.

As we follow our lead protagonist, Angel (Lisa Fanto) following her own traumatic experience in the wake of losing her mother from a brutal murder. The trauma that Angel carries with her is still crude in its healing, and has left her drifting through life. It also leads her on the path of a deranged killer, who wears a parasitic mask, fuelled by dark magic to curse anyone who should wear it. If this isn’t a metaphor for Mackay’s whole agenda, I’m not sure what is. The audience are then treated to a troubling tale that identifies us all as potential killers unless we face up to the demons of a traumatic or scarred past and deal with it head on. The darkness can shed light on our most harboured trepidations and give rise to greater fears, but in doing so fosters conversation and in some cases hope. Alice is forced to do so when her best friend is killed and is suddenly subjected to overcoming her struggles, find the killer, and stop them before all those she holds dear are left in the toils of malice.

The Prognosis:

Alice Maio Mackay’s sophomore feature is just as painful and raw as her predecessor, but armed with knowledge and a strong core message, she manages to craft a tale that resonates. The gritty and dark side of humanity is exposed behind the mask we all wear, and Mackay proves once again that she not only has a message to share, but can do so with an impact that will make you sit up and listen. 

  • Saul Muerte

Bad Girl Boogey is currently available on DVD at Umbrella Entertainment while stocks last and will release on digital platforms July 4 and DVD release on July 11 through Dark Star Pictures.

Movie review: So Vam (2021)

24 Wednesday Aug 2022

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On face value, So Vam starts off as a tough watch due to its low budget restraints, but beneath its paltry appearance, there is an important and integral theme at play here.

At its core, the film is a stark and honest depiction of being ostracised by society as told from the LGTBTQ+ community. The tale is all the more stronger as its author and visionary is trans  filmmaker Alice Maio Mackay, who adds her own personal touch to finding her own community in an almost unforgiving world. Her directorial debut feature heralds a maturity that belies her age at 17 years, but her voice and position allows the truth of her experiences to shine through.

The scene is set in an Australian town where young gay guy, Kurt (Xai) feels he is constantly an outsider and often the victim of those who ridcule him for his identity. Kurt hangs onto the dream of one day becoming a drag queen, where he can showcase his talents on the stage and live in the big city. What he doesn’t expect is to find his tribe among the vampire kind.

When he is one day stalked and killed by a bloodsucker,  only to be brought back to life by a gang of rebellious vampires, hell bent on ridding the old world of bigotry and pain. It is here that he finds a kinship and with it a new found confidence. In finding his way though, he must equally find how his vampire ways must blend with his family and friendship ties. Can these two worlds exist or must he part ways with one over the other?

The Prognosis:

Director Mackay paints a perfect metaphor for transitions and change for a community trapped by their identity through the tale of vampire mythology. Despite its limitations, there is measure to be had here and a narrative that has been crafted with a learned voice. One that pays dividends to sit up and listen to, marking an exciting entry into the LGTBTQ+. With another film released this year (Bad Girl Boogey) Mackay clearly has plenty more stories to tell. It will certainly be interesting to see how she harnesses her craft further.

  • Saul Muerte

So Vam is currently streaming on Shudder Australia and serves as a great companion piece to Death Drop Gorgeous.