[Review] She Must Vanish (GenreBlast): A Witch Finds Herself in Terrifying Circumstances

Canadian director Kyle Martellacci is a prolific director of terrific horror shorts that tackle myriad subgenres and nail each one. He turns in what I feel is some of his finest work in his latest effort from Red Razor Pictures, supernatural shocker She Must Vanish.

Martellaci wrote, directed, edited, shot, and produced She Must Vanish, and he obviously didn’t stretch himself too thin in any of these departments because the short is a gripping work as mesmerizing as its main character, young witch Mia (Anne-Carolyne Binette). In the opening scene, this woman has slaughtered a man and removed his heart, and when walking in a park area afterward, she encounters a woman who warns her that the town has a dangerous reputation. Mia pays little mind because she is off to meet her next victim. Unheeded warnings in horror movies never end well for those ignoring them, but she tempts fate. Binette gives a first-rate performance, playing her role in an understated manner, and infusing Mia with a quiet confidence and a strong inner resolve.

She Must Vanish looks superb, including gorgeous seaside shots that fairly hypnotize. Martellacci knows his way around a terror tale and helms the short at a nice pace, letting its mysteries unravel slowly after a powerful opening that offers the film’s first taste of splendid gruesome effects work from special makeup effects artist Geneviève Bigras. 

She Must Vanish is the type of horror short that casts a spell on viewers, a fitting thing considering its supernatural subject matter. The film, which is just beginning its film festival run, gets a strong recommendation from me.

For more information including future screenings, visit https://www.facebook.com/RedRazorPictures/.

She Must Vanish screened at GenreBlast, which ran at the Alamo Drafthouse in Winchester, Virginia, from August 29– September 1. 

(4 / 5)

Joseph Perry

Joseph Perry fell in love with horror films as a preschooler when he first saw the Gill-Man swim across the TV screen in "The Creature from The Black Lagoon" and Mothra battle Godzilla in "Godzilla Vs. The Thing.” His education in fright fare continued with TV series such as "The Twilight Zone" and "Outer Limits," along with legendary northern California horror host Bob Wilkins’ "Creature Features." His love for silver age and golden age comic books, including horror titles from Gold Key, Dell, and Marvel started around age 5. He is a contributing writer for "Phantom of the Movies VideoScope" print magazine and the websites Gruesome Magazine, Diabolique Magazine, Ghastly Grinning, The Scariest Things, Horror Fuel, and When It Was Cool. He is a co-host of the "Decades of Horror: The Classic Era" and "Uphill Both Ways" podcasts. Joseph has also written for “Scream” magazine, "Filmfax" magazine, “SQ Horror” magazine, and the websites That's Not Current an HorrorNews.net. He occasionally proudly co-writes articles with his son Cohen Perry, who is a film critic in his own right. A former northern Californian and Oregonian, Joseph has been teaching, writing, and living in South Korea since 2008.