New Transgenre Cinema: The Films of Alice Maio Mackay, Part 1
On the occasion of the release of 'The Serpent's Skin,' I examine the young director's singular filmography.
Last year on December 25th, I recommended a film called Carnage for Christmas: directed by Australian filmmaker Alice Maio Mackay, the film wowed me when I saw it at a festival in 2024 and a revisit did nothing to dull my memory of this brazen exercise in festive horror, a “transgender holiday film”, as the title card suggests.
Holiday Pick: Carnage for Christmas
It’s Xmas, and I haven’t started this yet, so I’ll be brief. My holiday pick for this festive day is Alice Maio Mackay’s 2024 “transgender holiday film” Carnage for Christmas. The film follows Lola, a trans true-crime podcaster who returns to her repressive hometown to find a true-crime mystery of her own.
Eleven Groothuis
