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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

Property: A Riveting and Thought-Provoking Home-Invasion Thriller

02 Sunday Jun 2024

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Dark Star Pictures’ latest release, Property, has just landed on selected Digital and On Demand platforms, is an unmissable addition to the home-invasion horror genre. Directed by Daniel Bandeira, this film is a gripping exploration of violence, power dynamics, and the complexities of empathy and resistance.

Having clinched Best Picture at last year’s Fantastic Fest, Property has been making waves across the genre festival circuit, with notable screenings at Sitges, Edinburgh, Berlin, and over 20 other festivals worldwide. It’s not hard to see why this film has garnered such significant attention.

Set against the backdrop of a stately country house, Property tells the story of a wealthy couple whose idyllic retreat is brutally interrupted by laborers from the surrounding farm. What unfolds is a tense and visceral narrative that forces viewers to confront uncomfortable truths about society.

Bandeira’s direction shines as he deftly navigates the political undertones of the story. He crafts a narrative that not only thrills but also provokes thought about the real-world implications of violence and power. The film’s success lies in its ability to humanize both the privileged and the oppressed, creating a layered and nuanced portrayal of each character’s motivations and struggles.

The lead character, Tereza (Malu Galli) despite her privileged background, evokes deep empathy from the audience. Bandeira skillfully uses the pre-credits sequence to reveal her earlier trauma, providing a poignant context for her actions and decisions throughout the film. This backstory adds a rich layer of complexity, making her more than just a symbol of wealth and privilege, but a multifaceted individual shaped by her experiences.

Equally compelling is the portrayal of the farm workers who stage the home invasion. Their actions are driven by desperation and a palpable sense of injustice, reflecting the harsh realities faced by the underprivileged. Bandeira does not shy away from depicting their struggle in a raw and honest manner, allowing the audience to empathize with their plight even as they resort to dark and desperate means.

Property excels in its ability to maintain a relentless pace and intense atmosphere, keeping viewers on the edge of their seats. The cinematography captures the stark contrast between the opulent interiors of the country house and the gritty reality of the farm workers’ lives, enhancing the film’s thematic depth.

The Prognosis:

Property is a standout film that transcends the typical boundaries of the home-invasion genre. Its thought-provoking themes, combined with visceral thrills, make it a must-watch. Bandeira’s masterful direction and the powerful performances from the cast ensure that Property leaves a lasting impact long after the credits roll. This film is a compelling reminder of the complexities of empathy, violence, and resistance in our society.

  • Saul Muerte

Movie Review: Midnight Peepshow (2024)

19 Monday Feb 2024

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I’ll say, straight off the bat, that I’m not the biggest fan of Horror anthologies, where there is a series of short stories interwoven with a greater arc that unites them all. The result is usually a mixed bag, with one or two strong entries and the rest flailing in the wind and easily forgotten.

So, to say that I was a little apprehensive is a fair statement when I came across this straight to VOD release, hoping to tap into the dark Web world and ensnare viewers with a bent or intriguing interest.

It’s an ambitious move considering the low budget attached to the feature and the constraints that come with it, as audience members drawn to this style of film, will be hoping for a gratuitous, gore-laden torture fest. Too heavy and you lose your average punter, too laid back and you’ll lose your core group, first drawn to the movie.

Where Midnight Peepshow excels is in the manner that it ensnared you, enticing you down the rabbit hole with a warped metaphor of Alice in Wonderland, tempting you to chase the Black Rabbit.

We’re presented with three tales to embark upon as we’re guided through various tales of mistrust, sexual masochistic vibes and debauchery.

The first tale, Personal Space (Directed by Airell Anthony Hayles) aims to set the precedent with a home invasion with a twist, as a couple are forced to endure a harrowing ordeal and their relationship is pushed to the limits.

The second is just as tense but with a more comedic tone as 3 guys and a girl awaken to find themselves bound and tied and only through a series of gruesome tasks can escape be possible. Presenting them with their challenges entitled, Fuck, Marry, Kill (Directed by Andy Edwards) is an unseen Gamesmaster, voiced by Zach Galligan.

Before, rounding out the trio of macabre narratives, The Black Rabbit (Directed by Jake West)  a man tries to win back the heart of his wife and follows her deeper into the dark Web only to face the most horrifying experience that he could have imagined.

The Prognosis:

The bond that ties the stories together may feel a little loose and unconstrained, but the journey is a twisted mix of curiosity, dark humour, and monstrosity that can only lead to ruin. It may struggle to ignite some passionate voyeurs, but there’s enough of a scent to lure you in and lean into the dank milieu from the three creators, despite its misgivings.

  • Saul Muerte

Movie review: Bad Girl Boogey (2023)

23 Friday Jun 2023

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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.