November 16th, By Molly Henery. These films are often ignored in theaters but quickly develop cult followings. Columnist Molly Henery, who named and defined the subgenre, tackles a new film each month and analyzes how it fits into this bloody new corner of horror.
After having fun talking about the many severed penises in Teeth last month, I decided to take on a more serious film for November. This film from Norway was likely missed by even the most vigilant horror fans, but it is a powerful piece that uses Uterus Horror to tackle multiple subjects including religion, sexuality, and repression. Thelma tells the story of a young woman Eili Harboe just starting college.
Clearly a sheltered girl with no friends, she soon notices Anja Kaya Wilkins , a fellow student. The opening of Thelma shows a young Thelma on a hunting trip with her father Henrik Rafaelsen. They go out into the snowy wilderness, and as Thelma watches a deer, her father points the rifle at her head. The film then jumps ahead to Thelma starting college, where she first meets Anja. Anja simply takes a seat next to Thelma in the library to study. Thelma seems to cause birds to fly into the library window as she has her first seizure.
After Anja arrives, Thelma has her second seizure. Anja invites Thelma to see a dance performance. The two kiss for the first time shortly after that, but Thelma runs away and cuts contact with Anja. Thelma is hospitalized to monitor her brain activity to see if her seizures are caused by epilepsy.
After a couple days with no seizures, the doctors are finally able to trigger one by making her think of Anja.
