Marla Mae (2018)
Starring: Lisa van Dam-Bates, Travis Johnny Ware, Katie Hemming, Jason StangeWritten: Lisa van Dam-Bates
Directed by: Lisa van Dam-Bates
Lisa van Dam-Bates is the super-human triple threat behind medical shocker Marla Mae (2018). Writing, directing and starring in a movie would be beyond the powers of most ordinary mortals. I will barely get through writing this paragraph without needing to call my therapist. I was drawn to this movie by the fact Dam-Bates seemed to have so much control over her movie. I know it may seem unfair to say that this movie is more interesting because it was written and directed by a woman, after all, no-one goes to see Martin Scorcese films because he is a guy, but to me it is a numbers game. My opinion is that there are too few female voices in horror, especially ones that have so much control over their vision, to ignore a movie like this. Judging by its subject matter, it is easy to think that the subtext of Marla Mae is something extremely personal to most women: getting adequate and affordable healthcare from a system that doesn't appear to respect or pretend to understand women.
