One Eyed Girl

I saw this movie last year at the ECU film festival in Paris and still to this day, I think about it often. I am not familiar with Australian movies but I am so grateful the organizers of the festival have selected this movie. The concept of healing the soul was really disturbing to me and very powerful. It made me change the way I view negative past experience. The idea I had of Australia was beaches, surf and ice cream but the decor is more like a Scandinavian thriller movie. The music has great beauty and makes the movie really haunting. This is a deep analysis of a man's life into the darkest places in his head. The cast was really well chosen and their performances shows so much courage and intelligence. This is the first movie for this director and I am impatient to see more of his work.

A quietly powerful and deeply unsettling psychological thriller that explores the fragile human condition through the lens of grief, trauma, and the need for belonging. Directed by Nick Remy Matthews and co-written with Craig Behenna, the film blends emotional depth with a chilling sense of suspense, resulting in a story that lingers in the mind long after it ends.

The story follows Travis, a young psychiatrist battling intense guilt and depression after the death of a patient. Burnt out and emotionally detached from the world, he encounters Grace, a mysterious young woman who introduces him to a secluded cult led by a charismatic and deeply manipulative leader, Father Jay. What follows is a tense and atmospheric descent into a world that promises healing but hides something much darker.

The film's strength lies in its ability to slowly peel back layers of both character and narrative. Rather than relying on jump scares or flashy twists, One Eyed Girl focuses on psychological tension and the slow unraveling of its characters' mental states. It asks hard questions about vulnerability, control, and what people are willing to believe in when they're at their lowest.

I recommend but with a warning. It's heavy. It deals with mental health, loss, control, and how easy it is to fall into something dangerous when you're not okay. If you're in the right headspace and enjoy psychological thrillers that lean more into character and emotion than plot twists, it's definitely worth your time.

It's not about jump scares or fast pacing. It's more like watching someone quietly fall apart, and you can't look away.

What really hit me was how real the characters felt. Not perfect, not likable all the time, but so painfully human. Travis is broken in a way that's uncomfortable to watch because it's relatable This isn't a movie for everyone. If you're looking for action or answers wrapped up in a neat little bow skip it. But if you like psychological stories that dig into grief, vulnerability, and the weird places people end up when they've got nothing left..

One Eyed Girl is not an easy film to watch. It is heavy, uncomfortable, and at times distressingly real in its portrayal of trauma and emotional manipulation. But it is also a film of great sensitivity, psychological depth, and moral complexity. It asks hard questions about mental health, belief systems, and the longing for redemption in a fractured world.

While it won't appeal to audiences looking for action or traditional horror, those interested in psychological character studies and understated cult dramas will find a lot to appreciate. It's a film that lingers long after the credits roll, not because of any shocking twist, but because it dares to sit in the quiet, painful spaces most stories avoid.