This 10-Year-Old Black-And-White Movie Is One of the Creepiest Horror Debuts Ever

In 2016, Sundance Festival saw a horror film that divided audiences. Nicolas Pesce's debut, The Eyes of My Mother, is a terrifying, bleak, and stylish black-and-white horror gem that is both difficult to recommend and impossible to ignore.

It explores how trauma and isolation can alter a child's consciousness. Can the main character be judged for who she has become as a result of decisions made by adults?

What Is 'The Eyes of My Mother' About?

Francisca lives with her parents in a secluded house in the countryside. Her father provides for the family, and her mother, a former surgeon, teaches her daughter how to remove organs from animals. This helps the girl overcome her fear of death.

One day, their lives change forever when a stranger named Charlie breaks into the house and kills Francisca's mother. Her father chains Charlie up and hides him in a barn. Francisca uses what she learned from her mother to remove the criminal's eyes and vocal cords.

This is only the beginning, however, as Francisca has a whole life ahead of her in which she will find new ways to cope with loneliness and pain.

'The Eyes of My Mother' Is an Impeccable Black-And-White Aesthetic & Slow-Motion Horror

For his debut, Pesce chooses an unusual format – black and white, which gives the movie a simultaneously classical and nightmarish feel.

The cinematography is meticulous, paying attention to even the smallest details: empty fields, a secluded house, and close-ups of faces that draw you in and then make you want to look away.

The Eyes of My Mother doesn't rush – it slowly and almost hypnotically builds atmosphere, drawing the viewer into Francisca's world, where violence becomes the language of love and pain is the only way to feel alive.

It's the story of a dysfunctional family where there's too little bloodshed for fans of gore and too much for those who prefer psychological drama, but it's precisely this combination that makes the film unique.

'The Eyes of My Mother' Delves Deeply Into the Topic of Trauma as a Legacy

The central topic of The Eyes of My Mother is the intergenerational transmission of trauma.

After her mother dies, Francisca is left alone with her father. Unable to cope with his grief, he isolates her from the outside world. As Francisca grows up, her understanding of love, intimacy, and human relationships becomes distorted.

She believes the only way to make a friend is to ensure they can't leave and the only way to show care is to relieve pain, even if it means gouging out an eye.

We see Francisca as both a monster and a victim of circumstance – her actions are horrific, yet her loneliness and pain are genuine. The movie forces us to ask: where does trauma end, and where does evil begin?

What Did Critics & Viewers Think of 'The Eyes of My Mother'?

• The Eyes of My Mother has 78% from critics and 57% from viewers on Rotten Tomatoes.

• On IMDb, the movie has a score of 6.2/10.

• On Letterboxd, The Eyes of My Mother scored 3.4/5.0.

Where to Watch 'The Eyes of My Mother'?

The Eyes of My Mother is available to buy or rent on Amazon Prime Video and Apple TV.