''May'' is a 2002 American
psychological horror film
Psychological horror is a subgenre of horror and psychological fiction with a particular focus on mental, emotional, and psychological states to frighten, disturb, or unsettle its audience. The subgenre frequently overlaps with the related subgen ...
written and directed by
Lucky McKee
Edward Lucky McKee (born November 1, 1975) is an American director, writer, and actor, largely known for the 2002 cult film '' May''. He is best known for his work in horror films.
Life and career
McKee was born in Jenny Lind, California. He h ...
in his directorial debut. Starring
Angela Bettis,
Jeremy Sisto
Jeremy Merton Sisto (born October 6, 1974) is an American actor. He is known for his roles as Billy Chenowith in HBO's '' Six Feet Under'', NYPD Detective Cyrus Lupo in NBC's '' Law & Order'', George Altman in the ABC sitcom ''Suburgatory'', fo ...
,
Anna Faris
Anna Kay Faris (; born November 29, 1976) is an American actress. She rose to prominence for her work in comedic roles, particularly the lead part of Cindy Campbell in the ''Scary Movie'' film series (2000–2006). She has appeared in a number o ...
, and
James Duval
James Edward Duval is an American actor. He is known for his roles in the Gregg Araki ''Teenage Apocalypse'' film trilogy—''Totally F***ed Up'', ''The Doom Generation'', and '' Nowhere''. His other notable roles include Miguel in ''Independence ...
, the film follows a lonely young woman (Bettis) traumatized by a difficult childhood, and her increasingly desperate attempts to connect with the people around her.
Although ''May'' was
unsuccessful at the box office, it received favorable reviews from critics, and is now considered a
cult film
A cult film or cult movie, also commonly referred to as a cult classic, is a film that has acquired a cult following. Cult films are known for their dedicated, passionate fanbase which forms an elaborate subculture, members of which engage ...
.
Plot
May Canady is a woman in her mid-twenties, who suffered from a troubled childhood due to her
lazy eye. She has very few social interactions, her only "true friend" being a glass-encased doll named Suzie made by her mother and given to May for her birthday with the adage "If you can't find a friend, make one." May works as a vet assistant. Her optometrist fixes May's lazy eye, first with glasses, then with contact lens. May becomes friends with Adam, a local mechanic. She has a fixation on his hands, which she considers to be the most attractive part of him, and they start dating. May's lesbian colleague, Polly, begins to flirt with May. One day, May remarks that Polly has a beautiful neck. During their flirtation, Polly gives May a pet cat, Lupe.
May invites Adam to her apartment and he shows her a film that he made for his university titled ''Jack and Jill''. The film reveals a story of two young lovers, who go on a picnic, and end up
eating each other. May becomes aroused by the cannibalism in the film. During an intense make-out session, she bites Adam on the lip, and it bleeds. Disturbed, Adam abruptly leaves. May shouts at Suzie and shoves her in the cupboard. She begins volunteering at a school for blind children, where she takes a liking to a sullen young girl named Petey, who makes her a clay ashtray with the name "MAY" pressed into it. She gives in to Polly's advances and starts a short affair. Adam stops calling her and May overhears him say that he is glad he could get rid of her. Devastated, she visits Polly, but finds her with another girl named Ambrosia, furthering May's grief. When even Lupe refuses to come near her, May becomes enraged and throws Petey's ashtray at her, killing the cat and shattering the ashtray. She becomes delusional, and believes that Suzie is talking to her.
May takes Suzie to school and tells the blind children that Suzie is her best friend. The children struggle to take the doll out of the glass case, and the case shatters. May and the children are cut by the broken glass. Scooping up the ruined doll, May returns home devastated. The following day, she meets a young
punk
Punk or punks may refer to:
Genres, subculture, and related aspects
* Punk rock, a music genre originating in the 1970s associated with various subgenres
* Punk subculture, a subculture associated with punk rock, or aspects of the subculture s ...
. He asks her if she wants to get some candy with him, and she accepts. May does not admire him very much, but likes the tattoo on his arm. At her house, he finds the cat's corpse, and calls May a freak. May breaks down and stabs him in the head, killing him. After putting much thought into her future actions, May claims she needs "more parts".
On Halloween night, May dresses in a homemade costume resembling Suzie, adopts a normal personality, and goes to Polly's house, where she slits her throat with a pair of surgical scalpels. When Ambrosia arrives, May stabs her in the temples. Next, she visits Adam and his new girlfriend at his house. May murders both of them with the scalpels. At home, she designs her "new friend", a life-sized patchwork doll made from the punk's arms, Polly's neck, Ambrosia's legs, Adam's hands, his girlfriend's ears, and Lupe's fur for the hair. Using the broken remnants of the "MAY" ashtray to form an anagram, she names the doll "Amy". She realizes that Amy has no eyes and cannot "see" her, so she gouges out her lazy eye. Crying in pain and bleeding, she puts the eye on Amy's head and begs the doll to look at her. She collapses on the bed beside the doll, and caresses it. Her creation comes to life, and brushes her face affectionately with Adam's hands.
Cast
*
Angela Bettis as May Dove Canady
** Chandler Riley Hecht as young May Dove Canady
*
Jeremy Sisto
Jeremy Merton Sisto (born October 6, 1974) is an American actor. He is known for his roles as Billy Chenowith in HBO's '' Six Feet Under'', NYPD Detective Cyrus Lupo in NBC's '' Law & Order'', George Altman in the ABC sitcom ''Suburgatory'', fo ...
as Adam Stubbs
*
Anna Faris
Anna Kay Faris (; born November 29, 1976) is an American actress. She rose to prominence for her work in comedic roles, particularly the lead part of Cindy Campbell in the ''Scary Movie'' film series (2000–2006). She has appeared in a number o ...
as Polly
*
Nichole Hiltz
Nichole Marie Hiltz is an American actress. She has appeared in several films, made-for-TV movies, and television series. Her most recent long-running television credit is for USA Network's ''In Plain Sight'' from 2008 to 2012 in which she portra ...
as Ambrosia
*
James Duval
James Edward Duval is an American actor. He is known for his roles in the Gregg Araki ''Teenage Apocalypse'' film trilogy—''Totally F***ed Up'', ''The Doom Generation'', and '' Nowhere''. His other notable roles include Miguel in ''Independence ...
as the punk boy ("Blank")
*
Ken Davitian
Kenneth Davitian ( hy, Քենեթ Դավիթյան; born June 19, 1953) is an American actor, best known for his role as Borat's producer Azamat Bagatov in the 2006 comedy film ''Borat''.
Early life and education
Kenneth Davitian was born in ...
as Foreign Doctor
*
Kevin Gage as Papa Canady
*
Merle Kennedy
Merle may refer to:
People
*Merle (given name), a given name used by both men and women
*Merle (surname), a surname of French origin
Others
*Merle (dog coat), a pattern in dogs’ coats
*Merle (grape), another name for the wine grape Merlot
*Akaf ...
as Mama Canady
* Rachel David as Petey David
*
Nora Zehetner
Nora Angela Zehetner (born February 5, 1981) is an American film and television actress.
Early life
Zehetner was born in El Paso, Texas, the daughter of Nancy Lynne (née Nelson) and John Carol Zehetner. She attended elementary school in Richar ...
as Adam Stubbs's new girlfriend ("Hoop")
*
Will Estes
William Estes (; born October 21, 1978) is an American actor known for his role on CBS police drama '' Blue Bloods'' as Jameson "Jamie" Reagan, a New York City Police Department officer and the youngest son of the police commissioner, played by ...
as Chris, Adam Stubbs's roommate
Soundtrack
''May'' also features a
score and original songs by
Jammes Luckett
Jammes Luckett, also formerly credited as Jaye Barnes Luckett is an American musician, writer, visual artist, and voice actor. She became known as the force behind the rock / electronic band Poperratic – as singer, songwriter, multi-instrumen ...
of the rock group
Poperratic
Poperratic was a solo music project/band from Los Angeles, California. Its sole member was the songwriter, composer, and multi-instrumentalist Jammes Luckett. Its music traversed a number of genres, but was mostly distinguished by Luckett's heav ...
(then known as Alien Tempo Experiment 13).
Additional artists on the soundtrack include
The Breeders
The Breeders are an American alternative rock band based in Dayton, Ohio, consisting of members Kim Deal (rhythm guitar, lead vocals), her twin sister Kelley Deal (lead guitar, vocals), Josephine Wiggs (bass guitar, vocals) and Jim Macpherson ...
,
The Kelley Deal 6000
The Kelley Deal 6000 was an alternative rock band formed in St. Paul, Minnesota and was active between 1995 and 1997. They were formed by Kelley Deal in 1995, while her main band The Breeders was on hiatus and after she had just completed a stint ...
, H Is Orange, Strangels, Thrill My Wife, The Wedding's Off, Angelo Metz, and
Tommy James and the Shondells
Tommy James and the Shondells are an American pop rock/psychedelic rock band, formed in Niles, Michigan, in 1964. They had two No. 1 singles in the U.S. – " Hanky Panky" (July 1966, their only RIAA Certified Gold record) and "Crimson and Clov ...
.
Some of Luckett's music from the film was released on the 2007 CD ''May and Other Selected Works of Jaye Barnes Luckett'' by La-La Land Records.
Release
''May'' was given a
limited theatrical release
__FORCETOC__
Limited theatrical release is a film distribution strategy of releasing a new film in a few theaters across a country, typically art house theaters in major metropolitan markets. Since 1994, a limited theatrical release in the Unite ...
to nine theaters in North America. By the end of its run, the film had grossed $150,277 during its theatrical run.
It eventually grossed $634,803 worldwide on its $1.7 million budget.
Critical reception
The film received favorable reviews from critics.
Review aggregator
A review aggregator is a system that collects reviews of products and services (such as films, books, video games, software, hardware, and cars). This system stores the reviews and uses them for purposes such as supporting a website where users ...
website
Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is an American review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee, and Stephen Wang ...
reports that 70% of 69 critics have given the film a positive review, with a
rating average of 6.1/10. The site's critical consensus states that it is an "above average slasher flick." On
Metacritic
Metacritic is a website that review aggregator, aggregates reviews of films, TV shows, music albums, video games and formerly, books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted arithmetic mean, weighted average). M ...
, which assigns a
weighted average
The weighted arithmetic mean is similar to an ordinary arithmetic mean (the most common type of average), except that instead of each of the data points contributing equally to the final average, some data points contribute more than others. The ...
score out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the film received an average score of 58 based on 18 reviews.
Critics praised the film for its unique feel while also complimenting its brutality through the eyes of someone who is so caught up in their own fantasy of sorts. Bettis' performance was also praised.
Roger Ebert
Roger Joseph Ebert (; June 18, 1942 – April 4, 2013) was an American film critic, film historian, journalist, screenwriter, and author. He was a film critic for the ''Chicago Sun-Times'' from 1967 until his death in 2013. In 1975, Ebert beca ...
granted the film four stars out of four, and called it "a horror film and something more and deeper, something disturbing and oddly moving" and characterized the denouement as "a final shot that would get laughs in another kind of film, but ''May'' earns the right to it, and it works, and we understand it". ''
Variety
Variety may refer to:
Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats
* Variety (radio)
* Variety show, in theater and television
Films
* ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont
* ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...
'' magazine critic David Rooney turned in a review that was more middle of the road, stating that the film was "More successful when the title character finally embarks on her bloody mission than in the dawdling buildup". ''
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'' critic
Stephen Holden
Stephen Holden (born July 18, 1941) is an American writer, poet, and music and film critic.
Biography
Holden earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from Yale University in 1963. He worked as a photo editor, staff writer, and eventually be ...
opined that "the performances are a cut or two above what you would find in the average
slasher film
A slasher film is a genre of horror films involving a killer stalking and murdering a group of people, usually by use of bladed or sharp tools like knife, chainsaw, scalpel, etc. Although the term "slasher" may occasionally be used informally as a ...
. But in the end that's all it is".
In 2006, the
Chicago Film Critics Association named ''May'' the 61st-scariest film ever made.
Bloody Disgusting
Bloody Disgusting is an American multi-media company, which began as a horror genre-focused news site/website specializing in information services that covered various horror medias, including: film, television, video games, comics, and music. ...
ranked the film #17 in their list of the "Top 20 Horror Films of the Decade", with the article calling the film "criminally under-seen at the time of its release... The plotting itself manages to sidestep the usual slasher tropes as it slowly and inexorably unravels, all leading up to a quietly haunting conclusion that is as heart-wrenching as it is unnerving." Albert Nowicki included the film on his list of "best Halloween movies of all time" for ''Prime Movies''.
Awards
*
Brussels International Festival of Fantasy Film
The Brussels International Fantastic Film Festival (BIFFF), previously named Brussels International Festival of Fantastic Film (french: Festival international du film fantastique de Bruxelles, nl, Internationaal Festival van de Fantastische Fil ...
:
** Best Actress:
Angela Bettis
*
Sitges - Catalan International Film Festival
The Sitges Film Festival ( ca, Festival Internacional de Cinema Fantàstic de Catalunya, links=no) is an annual film festival held in Sitges, Spain, specialized in fantasy and horror films, of which it is considered one of the world's foremost in ...
:
** Best Actress: Angela Bettis
** Best Screenplay:
Lucky McKee
Edward Lucky McKee (born November 1, 1975) is an American director, writer, and actor, largely known for the 2002 cult film '' May''. He is best known for his work in horror films.
Life and career
McKee was born in Jenny Lind, California. He h ...
*
Gérardmer Film Festival
Gérardmer (; or archaic ''Geroldsee'', and ''Giraumoué'' in local Vosgian) is a commune in the Vosges department in Grand Est in northeastern France.
Population
Culture
The Festival international du film fantastique de Gérardmer (literall ...
:
** Premiere Award: Lucky McKee
* Málaga International Week of Fantastic Cinema:
** Best Actress: Angela Bettis
** Best Film: Lucky McKee
** Best Screenplay: Lucky McKee
** Youth Jury Award- Best Feature Film: Lucky McKee
Inspiration
Lucky McKee has stated that "''May'' wouldn't exist if it weren't for Amanda Plummer's character in ''
The Fisher King
''The Fisher King'' is a 1991 American fantasy comedy-drama film written by Richard LaGravenese and directed by Terry Gilliam. Starring Robin Williams and Jeff Bridges, with Mercedes Ruehl, Amanda Plummer, and Michael Jeter in supporting roles, ...
''."
See also
*
List of films featuring Frankenstein's monster
There is a body of films that feature Frankenstein's monster, first created by Mary Shelley in her 1818 novel '' Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus''.
List of films (chronological)
See also
* ''Frankenstein'' in popular culture
* ''Fran ...
References
External links
*
*
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:May (Film)
2002 films
2002 independent films
2002 LGBT-related films
2000s psychological drama films
2000s psychological horror films
2000s serial killer films
American independent films
American LGBT-related films
American psychological horror films
American slasher films
American splatter films
Bisexuality-related films
2000s English-language films
Films about dysfunctional families
Films about imaginary friends
Films directed by Lucky McKee
Films shot in Los Angeles
American horror drama films
Lesbian-related films
LGBT-related horror drama films
Lionsgate films
2002 directorial debut films
2002 drama films
2000s American films