I can’t recall ever seeing anything quite like this genre mashup: romance, body horror, family drama, female buddy film, plus a few where the names would be spoilers. There are musical interludes and one flashback told as a graphic novel, and all of it miraculously gels into an affecting, insightful, consistently surprising thriller. 

The movie shifts gears about halfway through. The transition sequence is the most conceptually grisly that I can recall seeing, and still with an enigmatic tenderness, like it was coming from instinct more than the heart. Two shots made my eyes pop; I wondered if I was really seeing them. 

The second half may be the stranger of the two. It tells of a love that’s unconditional, irrational, and arguably cruel. It’s sensitively staged, morally troubling, and still hits the right notes as a horror film. 

The striking cinematography favors bold shadows and bolder colors; it’s by the brilliant Rui Poças, who shot Zama, Tabu, and The Ornithologist. Leading an excellent ensemble, Isabél Zuaa plays Clara with a forceful will, an adventurous spirit, and a blind heart. 

The score puts harp or celesta out front; its both foreboding and precious, so just the right eerie vibe for a movie where a stray cat meets a brutal end and an orange tabby wears a party hat. 

Side Note: I can’t think of a picture with a greater disparity between its overall quality and the shittiness of its key art.