Some may be distressed by the severe lack of female primates in She Monkeys, but this Swedish flick is nevertheless an engrossing watch. Teenagers Emma and Cassandra train at a riding academy and become firm friends. However Cassandra soon starts to exert a surprising amount of control over Emma, something the other girl meekly relents to. What initially seems like an uneven but strong bond soon starts to have dark undertones, especially when Cassandra feels jealous or that she isn’t totally dominating what’s happening. While love could bloom, there’s the ever present danger of things ending badly.
Alongside this Cassandra’s younger sister is on the verge of puberty and starts to become self-conscious about her body and wants a bikini to wear. However while the adults around her seem worried about sexualising her, whether she’s already sexualised or if they can maintain her innocence for longer, the film plays with just how unknowing about her burgeoning sexuality the girl is. This results in a wonderful moment where the girl puts on a revealing leopard print two-piece that her father seems unsure about, but Sara just paints whiskers on her face so she’s a cat although she’s not always so innocent.
She Monkeys manages to create a wonderful feeling of desire and tension, building the relationship between the teenage girls so that it runs very deep and yet always seems like something potentially dangerous. Initially I kept wondering why Emma just goes along with whatever Cassandra tells her, as she doesn’t particularly seem to enjoy being dominated, she just constantly does what she’s told. Indeed with that and her sister’s behaviour, it makes you wonder if something unsavoury has been going on in their household that’s never explicitly mentioned. And while the movie never fully deals with this, it works well to add to the tension, as you realise that Cassandra’s control is utterly reliant of Emma’s unquestioning acceptance of it, and could therefore come unstuck at any moment.
Lisa Aschan’s direction is strong, with a wonderful way of uncovering people’s thoughts through a mix of close-ups and long shots, with a particular concentration on what people’s hands are revealing. The film also uses a lot of symbolism about animals and the training of them, which occasionally seems a bit heavy-handed, but not to the point of undermining the experience.
By the end it leaves you with plenty to consider, with everyone’s characters revealed to be complex and flawed.
Overall Verdict: An interesting character study of burgeoning power, dominance and sexuality that will certainly leave you thinking.
Reviewer: Tim Isaac