"“It certainly has bravery in its approach, but the results are somewhat of a disappointment…”"

She Monkeys is a film that focuses on so much, but delivers so little. Showing at the London Film Festival, this Swedish production is about two girls engulfed in a psychological friendship filled with antagonism, flirtation and competition.

Lisa Aschan’s debut feature pits the two young girls together as they battle for a space in the voltige team, where gymnasts perform acrobatics on horseback. Emma (Mathilda Paradeiser) is a new member of the gymnast troupe, where she meets Cassandra (Linda Molin) who promises to facilitate her new acquaintance.

A friendship develops between the two, despite the contrasting characteristics. Emma is a calm, resolute young girl, whereas Cassandra is playful and devious. It seems that Emma is fond of her new friend, but as time progresses we soon learn that she isn’t as dedicated to the relationship as she once was, as her competitiveness comes afore, and the place on the voltige team becomes the solitary objective – whilst the friendship soon turns to rivalry.

Meanwhile, Aschan delves into the life of Emma’s younger sister Sara (Isabella Lindquist), who, similarly to her elder sister is also coming-of-age, yet in different circumstances. At just eight years old, Sara considers herself to be maturing into a young adult, portrayed in her desire to own a bikini, and experiencing what she believes to be falling in love. As a confident young girl, she is a character reminiscent of Abigail Breslin in Little Miss Sunshine.

Where I felt She Monkeys is lacking, is within its storyline. Whilst I appreciate the initial ideas explored, that of sexual identity, family dynamics and friendship and rivalry, none of the said themes were truly dealt with, merely highlighted. There were times we questioned the sexual orientation of both Emma and Cassandra, and slight insights into Emma’s mother-less family life – but nothing tangible, leaving no clarification on the matters.

The film seemed to be building up to a big climax, where we would discover the fate of Emma and Cassandra, yet not all loose ends were tied. It had all the makings of a big finale, but ultimately failed to deliver. Little happened, and few questions were answered.

I was impressed by the performance of the lead role, as Paradeiser had an uncompromising aspect to her, and at times managed to seem susceptible to Cassandra’s mischievous perseverance, whilst also managing to seem in control of proceedings. She was a difficult character to read, and her complexity was keeping the audience guessing throughout.

I was also impressed by the excellent dancing ability the young girls possess. Often when a film centres on a physical art-form, you often feel that the filmmakers had to make a decision between whether to cast good dancers, or good actors. However in this instance that wasn’t the case at all, as the young leads were exciting dramatically, whilst showing off their fantastic voltige skills in the meantime. 

However, ultimately She Monkeys is a film that just should have been better, both in its story and emotionally. Delving into strong and intriguing themes that surround everyday life, particularly that of teenagers, it certainly has bravery in its approach, but the results are somewhat of a disappointment.