For anyone seeking out a surrealist queer story told through a French language, neon-lit lens at this year's Frightfest, look no further than Scarlet Blue. This visually stunning and sexually charged study of mental health and trauma made its UK debut on the Discovery screen at the festival this year, when frankly it should be gracing the main screen with its glorious performances from cast and creatives alike. Written and directed by, as well as starring Aurélia Mengin, this film is her second feature, not that it shows in any way that Mengin is still early in her film career, as Scarlet Blue feels as though it has been created by a connoisseur of genre cinema.

Alter (Amélie Daure and Anne-Sophie Charron) is a woman haunted by intense trauma, suffering from depression, schizophrenia, borderline personality disorder, as well as an abundance of unanswered questions made worse by the unaddressed issues between herself and her mother Rosy (Patricia Barzyk). After an attempt to end her life, Alter allows therapist and healer Léandro (Stefano Cassetti) to drug and hypnotise her to try and uncover what has led her down this path of unconscious terror. With the further help of a Polaroid camera to fill in lost memories between episodes, and a chance encounter turned romance with gas station worker Chris (Aurélia Mengin), Alter begins to unlock far more answers than she expected about her troubled life.

In terms of story, Scarlet Blue feels like obscure poetry from the first scene, carried by dreamlike visuals that make viewers question what is real. Although narrative is still at the forefront of this film, it is surrounded by strange imagery and Lynchian suggestiveness which harks to its arthouse inspirations, making it appealing to a wide range of audience members. The helter-skelter cinematography can be a little motion sickness-inducing as it spins and swerves through scenes, holding shots at odd angles, but is done with the grace and elegance of artistic expressionism.

Scarlet Blue is definitely the type of film that lingers in the mind for a long time after the credits roll. Whilst beautiful, the subject matter is still very dark and twisted, so trigger warnings for suicide, addiction, mental health and sexual content should all be taken into account. With that in mind, it should be acknowledged that this is a very raw portrayal of many of these triggers, enveloped in a gorgeous setting with iconic lighting and a sensational soundtrack that lures the viewer in and takes them on a rollercoaster of emotion from start to finish.

Scarlet Blue had its UK premiere at FrightFest 2024 on Friday, August 23. 

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