Despite hating horror movies, St. Vincent’s directorial debut is in the all-female horror anthology XX, which is now in theaters and on-demand as of today. Her contribution, a short film called “The Birthday Party,” stars Melanie Lynskey as an embittered mother suffering through an 8-year old’s birthday party where things aren’t quite as they seem. As a treat, St. Vincent has shared a short clip from it. Watch it above.
There’s a lot of promise here, from the creeping, thundering soundtrack to the slow zooms and use of stillness. Who knew a panda costume could be so creepy?
