Female Human Animal (2018)

Dir. Josh Appignanesi

Starring: Chloe Aridjis

Here is another film that dwells at the intersection of art and noir:Female Human Animalisn’t aheistthough, nor is it acon. Instead it’s a film that brings together many unexpected strands for a story that doesn’t neatly fit any genre. Nevertheless the noir ambience is pervasive and used to great effect with the surrealist nature of the narrative. There is a great overlap between noir and surrealism historically.

What’s also unusual about the film is that the star plays a version of herself immersed in events that were really happening: Aridjis was co-curating theLeonora Carrington exhibit at the Tate Liverpooland writing her novelSea Monsters (2019). There was a terrificconference connected with the exhibit, which is how I learned about the film; Catriona McAra has written an insightful chapter on…