Serial killers are a staple of horror cinema, and they always will be. Like murder itself, films which entail unsuspecting victims being tortured and massacred are timeless as they portray real world fears on screen that aren’t far-fetched at all, as history has proven. To some horror fans, the notion of more serial killer fare might sound generic; how many times have we seen scary men kill — usually women — people on screen? Well, Demeter Lorant’s disturbing short film Lucky Girl isn’t going to convert any naysayers looking for originality, but perhaps it will be commended for its effectively harrowing execution of the tried and tested formula.
The film opens with a hulking behemoth of a man (played by a terrifying Géza Benko) dragging three women away from a horrific automobile accident as they lay unconscious in a field of grass. However, he’s not there to rescue them, and their unlucky situation is about to take a turn for the worse when he takes them back to his lair of horrors to rape and murder. That is until one of the girls escapes anyway, and the cat-and-mouse chase begins.
As previously mentioned, Lucky Girl doesn’t stray far from what’s been established before in other films of this ilk, nor does it need to. What makes these types of flicks effective is when they manage to plunge the viewer into the lair of the beast along with the victims. Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer, despite its darkly comedic leanings, is the pinnacle film for thrusting the viewer into the heart of the atrocities being committed on screen, though underground horror aficionados might argue that the August Underground perfected the formula. Fans of these movies will enjoy Lucky Girl, as it portrays murder in an ugly, unflinching fashion that’s similar, though not as sensationalized as other films which focus primarily on the visceral and gruesome. Kudos must be given to Lorant for not glamourizing violence, and without going into spoilers, the turnaround moments are morally satisfactory as it culminates in an exciting showdown between killer and captive.
Also boasting some high production values for a micro-budget effort, Lucky Girl is 15 minutes of downright vileness that doesn’t beat around the bush. If you’re a fan of this type of horror, then this is well worth checking out. I doubt it’ll stand out from the pack in any way, shape or form, but with this short film, Lorant has demonstrated talents as a filmmaker worth keeping an eye on.
Lucky Girl 
(3 / 5)
