Some films leave you baffled and the opener to FrightFest 2025, Psyche, is certainly one of those.
Without a doubt this strand of the Glasgow Film Festival very much has its own personality that delivers a unique cinema experience. Often that means FrightFest takes chances with its choices and sadly Psyche from Stephon Stewart is a gamble that does not pay off.
It’s ambitious in exploring the theme of the meaning of life as we follow Mara (Sarah Ritter), who is stuck in a state of limbo with only a retro 1980s computer acting as a guide on her quest.
It’s basically HAL 9000 but in the form of the classic Apple Macintosh and with shades of evil intentions. While HAL is unsettling, the computer in this becomes annoying where one character appears that’s very reminiscent of Clippy, the paperclip in Microsoft Word.
That window into the mind is bold and all against the backdrop of the Mojave Desert as well as other L.A and Nevada locations. And that plays a big role in helping you get lost in some of the trippy, ridiculous, elements of Psyche.
It’s artistic and keeps you guessing as we see Ritter confront memories from her life in this limbo state, emphasising how precious time is. It poses more questions than it gives answers and is unsurprising given the general theme.
But like the barren landscape that can disorientate this screenplay from Stewart and Gibran Lozano feels directionless. It becomes absurd in parts but also shows signs of having some heart purely down to Sarah Ritter’s performance.
It’s a one woman show essentially and her dedication to embrace all its more unconventional elements is one of the film’s highlights.
That quirky fever-dream part of the concept is one Psyche’s writer and director fully commit to. At points it becomes tedious and tough to stick with especially when a brief dance-like sequence takes place that is just ridiculous.
At its heart it is a journey through someone’s mind as they go through trauma, reflecting on their existence but that gets lost in its pursuit of exploring the meaning of life.
Though Psyche doesn’t quite work it shows signs of potential with the heart Ritter brings to the role and with a very open mind you can appreciate what it’s trying to do.
