From Celine Cotran, Legs is a fun, gripping, and a slightly baffling short film which is a delightful way to spend 15 minutes of your time, especially if you are a fan of the creepy (and not an arachnophobe).
Joy, played by Laura Carmichael, is desperate to conceive with her partner Harry (Amit Shah), and would do anything to feel the “peacefulness” of a living being inside her stomach. Unsettlingly, this wish comes true when she swallows a spider in her sleep, a fear for many of us, but for Joy it’s a pleasant tickle no leaflet can convince her to dismiss.
Although the film hardly enables suspension of disbelief, and at times screams low budget, the imagery and story are compelling enough to keep the film fun and freaky. The acting and script is at times over the top, and mundane conversations seem entirely unbelievable.
However, every minute of screen time is used well, and the film was amusing and unsettling, as well as shot beautifully. Each conversation does contribute to the story well enough, and are just strange enough to fit in with horror, but better chemistry and perhaps more rehearsal between actors may have enhanced them. Few things felt like real conversations, except for in a particularly impactful climatic scene.
The film raises interesting ideas of the struggles of difficulty conceiving, of wanting to match your friend’s life stage, longing for motherhood, mental illness, and the strain on relationships these stressors can cause. These common and real problems are met with an almost absurd horror which is truly captivating, and the film conveys tangible empathy and sadness for Joy tangled in this web of yearning.
So, despite what looks to be a fairly low budget, talented filmmaking and an interesting plot makes for a compelling watch and a funny, thoughtful, and disturbing film. This is a great addition to British, female directed horror, a short inverse of Prevenge, and it will be interesting to see what Cotran directs next.
LEGS (Trailer) from Oliver Sunley on Vimeo.
