A life lived in fear is a life half-lived. —
Baz Luhrmann
A friend of director Peter Ohs rented a house in upstate New York and wanted to see how many films could be made there. Ohs visited and while staying there, he refused to go for a walk because he was too afraid of getting bitten by a tick. From there stemmed the idea of how being afraid can hold you back and from there the concept for THE TRUE BEAUTY OF BEING BITTEN BY A TICK came to be. Premiering at SXSW, this film lends humor and dread as it explores the unique characteristics that make us all complicated and messy humans.
Starting with an alarming voiceover, we hear the heartbroken Yvonne (cowriter Zoë Chao) talking on the phone with her friend Camille (Callie Hernandez) as we see peaceful images of nature. Crickets chirp, the leaves rustle in the wind, and the still blue sky all create a bucolic splendor that will surely ease the mind and heart of the crushed Yvonne. Distraught, she drives to her friend’s house where she also meets AJ (James Cusati-Moyer) and Isaac (Jeremy O. Harris), who apparently also live there for some reason.
Sound is given deliberate attention, with the deafening noise of soup being served and eaten nearly drowning out the conversation. In the opening sequence, the creaking of chairs, the flicker of a candle flame, and the clink of a cup being set down are emphasized just as much as the dialogue. This level of focus on everyday sounds is uncommon in most films, where background noises are often minimized or mixed to be less noticeable. As a result, these diegetic sounds may feel oddly intrusive to viewers, momentarily pulling them out of the film. Yet, at the same time, they enhance the film’s realism, mirroring the small, often-overlooked creaks and rustles that fill our daily lives.
Yvonne just wants to grieve, but she keeps getting bombarded in every direction. Not just the ever-present diegetic noises, but also the constant clinginess of her new housemates asking her to enjoy a resplendent sunset or eat the freshest bestests berries she will ever try. She just needs a moment’s peace, so she takes a solo walk (followed by a solo drink) and only then does the smothering din release itself. The combination of incessant noise and constant intrusions creates a suffocating sense of anxiety, reminiscent of mother!, but in a much smaller, more intimate setting.
As Yvonne spends more time in the rural setting, her anxiety and distress only intensify, while those around her grow eerily calm and sometimes even disturbingly expressionless. She also learns that her one moment of solitude came at a cost because on her walk, she’s bitten by a tick, and soon after, she develops a fever and a strange growth. She’s told that pain is necessary for healing, that only by enduring it can she recover and rediscover joy. And one enjoyable part of the film is just when you think you have a grip on where the film is headed, it skitters away, darting in an entirely unexpected direction. Ohs masterfully weaves elements of body horror into his surreal narrative, crafting a story that constantly defies prediction. Beneath its unsettling surface, the film layers thought-provoking themes: grief, women’s bodily autonomy, and the role of fear in our lives are just a few.
Really beautiful how the film overlays and weaves the mundaneness with the complexities of life and nature. Taking inspirations from Ingar Bergman and Lars Von Trier, the visuals and story of THE TRUE BEAUTY OF BEING BITTEN BY A TICK are hypnotic, strange, and surreal. Without fear, we are free to do many things. But lack of fear also breeds compliance, which leads to a false sense of security, making people more vulnerable to dangers they might otherwise anticipate or prepare for. So, while you watch, ask, “Are you witnessing beauty”? Or are you simply being distracted from the underlying horror?
Tags: Amylou Ahava, Callie Hernandez, comedy, Drama, James Cusati-Moyer, Jeremy O. Harris, Mystery, Pete Ohs, SXSW, SXSW 2025, Ticks, Zoe Chao
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