Horse Girl (2020)

Horse Girl is special because it turns a small, quiet life into a psychological funhouse—one where the ordinary comforts of crafts, routines, and late-night TV slowly become portals to something uncanny. Jeff Baena keeps the tone intimate and off-kilter rather than flashy, and Alison Brie gives a fearless, deeply sincere performance that makes Sarah’s confusion feel less like a “twist” and more like a human ache you can’t look away from. The film’s compassion is its secret weapon: even when the atmosphere grows unsettling and surreal, it never treats its heroine as a joke, and that tenderness makes the strangeness hit harder. It’s not for everyone—if you need clear answers or a tidy reality line, it may frustrate you—but if you’re drawn to subversive, emotionally honest stories that linger like a vivid dream, it’s absolutely worth the trip.

Horse Girl is clearly aiming for an intimate, off-kilter portrait of a lonely woman whose grief and mental health fears blur into dream logic, with Alison Brie committing hard to the discomfort. The catch is that the movie leans heavily on ambiguity and “is this real?” weirdness, so if you want clear answers, steady pacing, or a grounded emotional arc, you may find it frustrating and a bit faux-arty. It drifts on mood more than plot, and some scenes feel intentionally awkward rather than revelatory, which can make the themes feel undercooked. If you’re into unsettling character studies and don’t mind leaving with questions (or feeling slightly unmoored), it has a strange, memorable pull; if not, it may feel like two hours of intriguing setup without the payoff you’re hoping for.