There is a specific kind of horror that resonates deeply with women who have learned that their survival often depends on reading the room, anticipating danger, and masking their own vulnerability. Andrea Corsini’s feature debut, Ferine, taps into this ancestral anxiety not through external slasher tropes, but by turning the gaze inward, exploring what happens when the civilized veneer of power cracks to reveal something ancient and ravenous underneath. For an outlet dedicated to horror through the lens of survival and representation, Ferine offers a disturbing, beautiful, and terrifying look at agency, identity, and the beast within.
The Predator in the Art Gallery
Carolyn Bracken, whose previous work in Oddity and You Are Not My Mother has established her as a formidable presence in genre cinema, steps into the role of Irene, a wealthy and influential art collector. On the surface, Irene embodies the ultimate control—she curates beauty, commands resources, and moves through high society with ease. But Corsini peels back this layer of elite insulation to reveal Irene succumbing to uncontrollable primal instincts. This is not a possession by a demon or a curse from a witch; it is a biological and psychological unraveling, a physical transformation into a predator that mirrors the very exotic animals she likely admires from a safe distance.
The narrative tension escalates when Irene’s path intersects with Dama, portrayed by the legendary Caroline Goodall. Dama is depicted as a lavishly wealthy trafficker of exotic predator animals, a character who operates in the shadows of legality and morality. When Dama identifies Irene as a mercurial predator, a morbid bond forms between them. This dynamic is crucial; it is not a mentorship of good, but a recognition of shared monstrosity. Their connection threatens the safety of everyone nearby, suggesting that when two such forces collide, the collateral damage is inevitable. It is a chilling reflection on how power, when unchecked and primal, consumes its environment.
A Symphony of Dread
The film’s atmosphere is further heightened by a score from Pino Donaggio, a master of tension whose work on Carrie and Don’t Look Now defined an era of psychological horror. Donaggio’s composition promises to underscore the film’s themes of inevitability and dread, wrapping the visual spectacle in audio that feels both luxurious and lethal. Supporting performances by Paola Lavini and Elisabetta Caccamo add depth to this ecosystem of danger, creating a cast that feels less like characters and more like pieces on a hunting board.
Ferine, which began as a short film in 2019, is now set to screen at the 30th Fantasia International Film Festival in Montreal, running from July 16 through August 2, 2026. With a lineup featuring 125 features and over 200 shorts, the festival provides the perfect venue for a film that challenges our perceptions of who the real monster is. The official teaser trailer, recently released online, offers a glimpse into this spiral of destruction, promising a horror experience that is as intellectually stimulating as it is viscerally terrifying. In Ferine, we are asked to confront the idea that civility is a thin skin, and that sometimes, the most terrifying thing a woman can do is stop pretending to be tame.
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