[Fantasia 2026] FILM REVIEW: Our Effed up World
- 15 hours ago
- 3 min read
Our Effed Up World - Fantasia Canadian Premiere Review
Director: ALice Maio Mckay
Starring: Sara Thompson, Jess McLeod, Scott Major, Annapurna Sriram, Karis Oka
Written by: Alice Maio Mckay
Produced by: Alice Maio Mckay, Jane Schoenbrun
Cinematography by: Aaron Schuppan
Original Score by: Freya Berkhout
Synopsis:
Sheri thought her biggest problem in life was dealing with the recent loss of her beloved grandma. But when a mysterious entity crash lands in the woods, only she and her group of friends are what stands in the way of an insatiable, intergalactic hunger.
Thoughts:
A movie title is very important. Often a summary of the plot or theme that the film maker is trying to get across to their audience. 'Obsession' (2026), for example, tells us about the goals of the lead character but also tells us of the dangers ahead. 'Mr. Bean's Holiday', another great example, tells us about the time Mr. Bean was able to travel after those allegations were cleared. The thing with 'Our Effed Up World' is that it sounds like a knock-off Blink 182 album, when in reality, the film is actually a statement about proactive women and not letting the world rush by you. Oh, and also aliens.
Alice Maio Mackay is an interesting figure in the queer film scene; with films like 'T Blockers' and 'The Serpent’s Skin', it’s proven that she can make fantastic films with very low budgets. She also very clearly has a love for retro campy horror films, with her use of neon lighting and soft-focus lens. Mackay’s big strength is her ability to write complex, emotional characters that feel very real and very human.
Now, saying all that, the thing that holds Mackay back from greatness is her inclusion of horror/sci-fi. These elements in her films often distract from the excellent dramatic movements, as they often feel rushed or low budget. Imagine watching 'Glengarry Glen Ross' and half-way through the movie, a 60’s 'Doctor Who' style villain comes on set and starts attacking Jack Lemmon (tbf I’d like to watch that now.)
This is my biggest problem with 'Our Effed Up World'; there’s an interesting film in here about not being proactive in life and the dangers of saying noting, but then it also wants to be this bad ass, middle fingers up film about not letting aliens take over the Earth. In theory, it’s not a terrible idea, but the cheap looking SFX makes some scenes laughable.
The lead actress's performance also doesn’t help with things. Sara Thompson, as Sheri, feels like she’s trying too hard in certain scenes. It feels like someone "acting" rather than watching a performance. I’ve seen Thompson be great in other things, but her performance stuck out like a sore thumb compared to the others around her. Jess McLeod is the MVP of the film, with their role of VHS rental store owner Finn. Their natural delivery and excellent comedic timing are an absolute joy to watch and I can’t wait to see them in future projects.
'Our Effed Up World' as a movie is perfectly fine. Its moments of drama are a clear sign that director Alice Maio Mackay knows how to work with actors and get great performances out of them, but the attempts at genre type storytelling doesn’t work for me. I noticed that one of the producers was Jane Schoenbrun and this very much feels like a movie they would be interested in making, but like I’ve said, the budget just isn’t quite there for this type of vision.
Verdict: ⭐️⭐️½
-Adam Neeson
'Our Effed Up World' received its Canadian Premiere at Fantasia '26 on July 18th