There are certainly situations where family drama, especially during the holidays, is more disturbing than any horror movie. In Marisa Crespo and Moises Romera’s You’re Not Me, Aitana and her partner Gabi show up at her parents home in Spain to surprise them for the holidays with their adopted newborn son. Expecting a welcome, they instead receive a chilling indifference, unraveling a mystery of why this couple has so little warmth for their daughter that gets stranger and scarier with each passing day as Christmas approaches.
A Romanian refugee named Nadia seems to have supplanted Aitana’s place in the family home, wearing Aitana’s clothes (including her wedding dress), occupying her room, and receiving the love from parents Dori and Justo that one might expect to be bestowed on Aitana. Even photographs of Aitana have been replaced with Nadia’s. Only her brother Saul, who suffers from an unspecified degenerative brain disease, seems to have any real affection for Aitana.
For about two-thirds of You’re Not Me, there’s a fairly understated mystery-thriller vibe that plays with the idea that any of the bizarre goings-on are only in Aitana’s head, and even Gabi seems to think that her partner’s going a bit nutterbutters. But horror fans, especially those that have seen films like Rosemary’s Baby, Kill List, or a few select others, will be expecting the twist that’s to come. That doesn’t make it any less creepy when it’s finally revealed, though, in no small part because of the wild visuals surrounding it. A twisted black-tie party in which Aitana realizes that the family she would expect to be in attendance is replaced by strangers, resulting in a spectacular meltdown, might only be the beginning.
Though it may not seem like it, You’re Not Me is a perfect addition to your Christmas horror playlist. Not just because it’s Christmas-set, but because it very aptly taps into the unique feeling of cringe that only family can provide. Grab that uncle you don’t particularly like, a glass of the strongest egg nog-tinged rum you can find, and take a seat in front of You’re Not Me and what I’d hope is the most uncomfortable 98 minutes of your holidays.
Marisa Crespo and Moisés Romera’s You’re Not Me screened at Fantastic Fest 2023.
