I Am Lisa

I Am Lisa is a 2020 horror revenge film that was directed by Patrick Rea, based on a script written by Eric Winkler.

I Am Lisa
Film poster
Directed byPatrick Rea
Written byEric Winkler
Music byNatalia Perez
CinematographyHanuman Brown-Eagle
Production
company
Feed the Queen
Distributed byMutiny Pictures
Release date
  • July 2, 2020 (2020-07-02)
Running time
92 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Synopsis

The film follows Lisa, a young woman who runs a bookstore that was left to her by her deceased grandmother. She is bullied by the local mean girl and drug dealer Jess, who also steals a rare book from the store and later sexually assaults her when the two are alone in the bookstore. Lisa tries to report it to the local police, but is met with dismissal as the sheriff is Jess's mom, Deborah, and the deputy her brother Nick. They instead arrange for Lisa to be viciously assaulted and left for dead in the woods. Lisa manages to survive the encounter after being bitten by a wolf and comes back with new supernatural powers that she uses to get even with those who wronged her.

Cast
  • Kristen Vaganos as Lisa
  • Jennifer Seward as Sam
  • Manon Halliburton as Sheriff Deborah Huckins
  • Carmen Anello as Jessica Huckins
  • Chris Bylsma as Deputy Nick Huckins
  • Cinnamon Schultz as Mary
  • Sarah McGuire as Dana
  • Millie Milan as Millie
  • Shawn Eric Jones as Dolphus
  • Brooklyn Funk as Brooke

Production

Having previously worked for The Kansas City Star, screenwriter Eric Winkler began writing the first draft of the film's script in 2016, and continued working on it through 2019. At the time he began on the draft Winkler "just wanted to do something creative" and that Winkler chose to further pursue screenwriting and the script after the death of his father in 2018.[1] Winkler has stated that I Am Lisa is "an homage to every revenge movie I’ve ever seen" and that “It was also heavily influenced by any movie that features a strong female protagonist, like Aliens, Kill Bill, and Day of the Dead.”[2]

Winkler approached Rea during some of his film screenings, both early in the script's development process and later, when the idea was more fully formed. Rea enjoyed the idea of a revenge film, as well as that it was female-driven and in the werewolf genre, and agreed to direct. He suggested that Winkler change more of the characters to women, as the majority were male and he felt that this would make the movie "a lot more interesting" and "play better today". Kristen Vaganos was brought on to play the titular role of Lisa before the script was finalized.[1]

Principal photography for I Am Lisa began in July 2019 and the majority of the footage was shot over a period of 14 days, with the exception of some pick-up shots taken in the following months.[3][1] Some of the filming locations included an abandoned police station and a bookstore inside Kansas City.[4]

Release

I Am Lisa premiered at the Boulevard Drive-In in Kansas City, Kansas on July 2, 2020, after which it screened at the August digital edition of FrightFest, on August 28.[1][5]

Reception

Critical reception has been positive.[6][7] Common praise centered on Rea's direction of the film and the character of Lisa, which Starburst called likeable.[8][9] Elements of criticism included the lycanthropic makeup and some of the film's lines.[10][11] I Am Lisa currently has a rating of 91% on the review aggregator site, Rotten Tomatoes.

References
  1. "The director, writer and star of horror film I Am Lisa on how the film came together ahead of Thursday's Boulevard Drive-In premiere". The Pitch. 2020-07-02. Retrieved 2021-01-22.
  2. Wash, Tony (2019-09-19). "Patrick Rea's 'I Am Lisa' Gets Revenge as a Werewolf [Exclusive]". Bloody Disgusting!. Retrieved 2021-01-22.
  3. "Werewolf Horror Film I AM LISA Completes Principal Photography + Exclusive Stills". Dread Central. 2019-09-05. Retrieved 2021-01-22.
  4. Eckerman, Kelly (June 30, 2020). "Horror movie filmed in KC area premieres Thursday". KMBC.
  5. "I AM LISA". FRIGHTFEST DIGITAL EDITION 2020. Retrieved 2021-01-22.
  6. "I Am Lisa". Rotten Tomatoes.
  7. "I Am Lisa brings a supernatural lycan revenge romp to KC". The Pitch. 2020-12-30. Retrieved 2021-01-22.
  8. "I AM LISA [FrightFest 2020]". STARBURST Magazine. Retrieved 2021-01-22.
  9. "I AM LISA (2020) Review - Low Budget Werewolf Film with Bite". Gruesome Magazine. 2021-01-09. Retrieved 2021-01-22.
  10. Turner, Matthew (September 2, 2020). "Frightfest 2020: 'I Am Lisa' Review". Nerdly. Retrieved 2021-01-22.
  11. "Arrow Video FrightFest 2020 Review – I Am Lisa". Flickering Myth. 2020-08-29. Retrieved 2021-01-22.
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