A Modern Horror Tale With Bitter Truths
In the shadow of Hollywood's palm trees, where contemporary homes mask histories better left buried, Alessandro Pulisci's "Hi I Just Moved Here" unpacks modern anxieties through the lens of classic horror. The short film follows Kat, a newly divorced woman whose fresh start in the hills of Los Angeles quickly unravels after the discovery of a mysterious VHS tape.
The film cleverly plays with familiar horror tropes – most notably echoing the cursed videotape premise of "The Ring" – while weaving a more insidious commentary about society's disposable treatment of women. Pulisci demonstrates a keen eye for visual storytelling, using the sterile modernity of Los Angeles interior design – all clean lines and empty spaces – as a canvas for exploring isolation and alienation.
Cinema buffs will appreciate the subtle nods to classics like "Dune" and "Forrest Gump," cleverly integrated through Kat's viewing preferences and the VHS MacGuffin at the story's center. Through the lens of genre conventions, Pulisci examines how patriarchal structures pit women against each other, while also touching on broader social issues like homelessness. The nightmares that plague Kat after watching the tape blur the lines between supernatural horror and the very real terrors of starting over in a world designed to minimize women's experiences.
Making its premiere at the 2024 Another Hole In the Head Film Festival, "Hi I Just Moved Here" proves that horror remains a powerful vehicle for social commentary. Pulisci crafts a story that manages to be both a genre piece and a cutting critique of how society devalues women.