Kermode’s Graveyard Smash
In the world of genre cinema, anticipation often builds around films that promise not just spectacle, but deep psychological dives. This year, one such title has garnered significant attention at the Fantasia International Film Festival: Larry Fessenden’s Trauma Or, Monsters All. It is a story that masterfully weaves together themes of isolation, forbidden desire, and the unsettling presence of the unknown.
The narrative centers on Cassandra (played by Laëtitia Hollard), a young writer who seeks refuge in a seemingly ordinary town. Her arrival sets the stage for an unexpected entanglement with Agnes, a library assistant. What begins as a simple connection quickly descends into something far more complex and fraught with tension.
As Cassandra navigates this new environment, strange occurrences begin to surface, hinting that the setting itself holds secrets far darker than surface-level community life suggests. The story thrives on building a sense of unease, using the familiar framework of romance to introduce genuine psychological horror.
Adding layers of paranoia are the surrounding figures. Living next door is Adam, the enigmatic, lab-made man from Depraved, whose very existence casts a shadow over Cassandra’s new life. Meanwhile, Fessenden’s own troubled character, drawn from his previous work on Blackout, also makes a visit, seeking company and unknowingly stirring up deeper conflicts within the town.
The film expertly balances these dramatic threads—the personal affair, the external mystery, and the pervasive sense of dread—creating an atmosphere that is both intimate and profoundly unsettling. While the surface narrative may suggest a simple romance, the undercurrents reveal a much more tangled reality. It’s this skillful juxtaposition of emotional vulnerability and supernatural menace that elevates Trauma Or, Monsters All into a truly compelling cinematic experience.
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