Horse Girl, which recently screened at Sundance and hits Netflix today, is the latest film by Jeff Baena (Life After Beth) starring Alison Brie in what is probably her most nuanced and fearless performance to date. With a cast that includes such comedy heavy hitters as Brie, Molly Shannon, and Debby Ryan, you’d expect more of a comedic romp from the official blurb floating around, but what you get is a devastating deep dive into mental illness and the unknown as Brie, who is also listed as a writer here, slips from reality to reality, being careful not to make light of Sarah’s condition and how it affects those around her.
The film follows Sarah (Allison Brie), the titular “quirky” horse girl, who is sort of your stereotypical wallflower. She works in a craft store, loves horses, and spends the majority of her time making friendship bracelets while watching her favorite urban fantasy show. We come into Sarah’s life shortly after the death of her mother and discover her family, especially the women, has a long history of mental illness. It’s around this time a surreal series of dreams involving alien abduction begins to overtake Sarah’s psyche, as her life slowly unravels when she sees familiar faces from her dreams. The film plays a game with its viewers and their expectations as you begin to dig deeper into its narrative only to discover the film may not be what it appears to be.
Horse Girl is like if Todd Solondz made Donnie Darko. It’s definitely got his ‘90s indie vibe, bringing to mind the director’s early work, with its cast of eccentric characters all trapped in this uncomfortable narrative’s downward trajectory. It’s not an easy watch, but worth it for Brie’s emotionally charged exploration of this character that takes the actress known more for her comedic chops to some pretty bleak places. As Sarah’s surreal dream world begins to infect her humdrum day to day life, the film transforms from a very slice of life approach into a paranoia fueled nightmare that feels like it could sit on the shelf with Fire in the Sky or Communion. It’s the kind of film you can’t simply watch once, since it demands repeated viewing to unlock the story within the story here, which Baena has masterfully embedded for those willing to dig deeper.