SCREEN IT! PARENTAL REVIEW: MAY

"MAY"
(2003) (Angela Bettis, Anna Farris) (R)

Alcohol/ Drugs	Blood/Gore	Disrespectful/ Bad Attitude	Frightening/ Tense Scenes	Guns/ Weapons
Moderate	Extreme	Extreme	Moderate	*None

Imitative Behavior	Jump Scenes	Music (Scary/Tense)	Music (Inappropriate)	Profanity
Moderate	None	None	Minor	Extreme

Sex/ Nudity	Smoking	Tense Family Scenes	Topics To Talk About	Violence
Heavy	Heavy	None	Moderate	Extreme

QUICK TAKE:: Horror: A socially maladroit young woman goes off the deep end when spurned by her lovers.

PLOT:

May (ANGELA BETTIS) is a young, loner woman who was ostracized as a child for having a lazy eye and thus grew up with her mother's doll as her only friend. Now fitted with contact lenses that have corrected that ocular problem, May wants to find a real friend, particularly since she's never touched the doll that's safely protected within its display case.

Polly (ANNA FARRIS), her animal hospital coworker, has set her lesbian sights on May, but the young woman is interested in Adam (JEREMY SISTO), an auto shop worker and student filmmaker. Although he initially doesn't even realize she's around, she eventually gets his attention and he's drawn to her unusual mannerisms and behavior.

Yet, when she gets a little too weird for even him, she suddenly finds herself without a friend or lover. And when a brief fling with Polly turns out not to be serious, May begins to go off the deep end, citing that people have beautiful parts, but that no one is the complete package. From that point on, she decides that if she can't find a friend or lover, she'll just have to go about making one.

WILL KIDS WANT TO SEE IT?: Unless they're fans of someone in the cast, it doesn't seem that any but the oldest of teens might be interested in it.

WHY THE MPAA RATED IT: R: For strong violence/gore, some sexuality and language.

CAST AS ROLE MODELS:: ANGELA BETTIS plays a seriously disturbed and ultimately psychotic young woman who wants a friend and/or lover, and turns lethally violent when spurned (separately) by both a man and woman. She also smokes.
ANNA FARRIS plays her lesbian coworker who repeatedly comes on to her.
JEREMY SISTO plays an auto body shop worker and student filmmaker who smokes, uses strong profanity, and fools around with May until she gets rough/weird with him.; ANNA FARRIS plays her lesbian coworker who repeatedly comes on to her.
JEREMY SISTO plays an auto body shop worker and student filmmaker who smokes, uses strong profanity, and fools around with May until she gets rough/weird with him.; JEREMY SISTO plays an auto body shop worker and student filmmaker who smokes, uses strong profanity, and fools around with May until she gets rough/weird with him.

CAST, CREW, & TECHNICAL INFO

HOW OTHERS RATED THIS MOVIE

Curious if this title is entertaining, any good, and/or has any artistic merit?
Then read OUR TAKE of this film.

(Note: The "Our Take" review of this title examines the film's artistic merits and does not take into account any of the possibly objectionable material listed below).

OUR WORD TO PARENTS:

The following is a brief summary of the content found in this R-rated drama. Profanity consists of at least 10 uses of the "f" word, while other expletives and colorful phrases are used. Some sexually related dialogue is present, while some couples (hetero and lesbian) are seen making out (some with some partial undressing).

Violence consists of a deranged woman killing various people for their body parts that she then sews together. An extreme amount of blood and gore is present, including that resulting from some self-mutilation. Some violence against a cat is also present. The murderer obviously has bad attitudes, while such scenes might be disturbing or suspenseful to viewers.

Various characters drink and/or smoke, while other imitative behavior is also present. Should you still be concerned about the film's appropriateness for yourself or anyone else in your home, you may want to look more closely at our detailed listings for more specific information regarding the film's content.

ALCOHOL OR DRUG USE: Two characters have wine in a student film.
A minor character states that she's been drinking vodka all night.
Spotting May with a large cooler, a woman asks her if she has any "cold ones" (beer). May says she does, but is referring to something not related to alcohol.
A woman asks May if she wants to come in for a drink. The woman then pours shots of Vodka and Adam drinks one (and says he's pretty drunk).

BLOOD/GORE: We see May holding her bloody hand to her face (with blood on her arm) as she screams.
We see a severed dog leg with dried blood on the end.
Although we only hear about it (and don't see it), May tells the story of a dog's abdominal sutures coming loose at home and its intestines and blood spilling out onto the floor.
Adam shows May a student film he made that features a young couple frolicking about until the woman bites off the man's finger. Blood squirts all over her and we then see the bloody hand that's missing a finger. More biting occurs and soon the two are rather bloody.
While making out with Adam, May bites him on his lip hard enough to draw blood (that she then purposefully smears on her face and chest).
We see an open and bloody/gory incision on a pet during surgery (that includes the spreading of the incision and a vet putting his fingers inside it).
Angry that her cat won't come to her when she calls it, May throws a heavy clay ashtray at it, killing the cat (we don't see the impact, but do see the dead and bloody cat). We later see various scenes with the dead cat, including her having it in the freezer.
A class of blind kids wants May to take her doll from its case. When she won't, they grab at the case and try to pull it away from her, resulting in it falling to the floor where its glass shatters. She and the kids then scramble across the shards of glass (on their hands and knees), resulting in them cutting themselves (with bloody results). We also see blood on the floor, on May's face and on her doll.
We see blood on May's legs.
May violently scratches at her eyes and we then see a shot of her face that shows blood there and her eyes looking very bloody and bloodshot.
We see a flashback of May grabbing a pair of scissors and then see a man holding his hands around them after they've been jabbed into his face (with very bloody results, but we don't see the impact). We later see a small pool of blood on the floor next to him.
We see a succession of quick views of the above bloody scenes.
May runs two scalpels along a woman's neck (somewhat arousing but also scaring the woman). May then slices the woman's throat with them, resulting in a great deal of blood and her death. We later see the lower half of her dead and bloody body.
We see blood mix with spilled milk on a floor.
May stabs a woman in the neck, resulting in a lot of blood.
We see severed body parts in a cooler.
A person has a little blood on their face.
May washes off various severed body parts (including a leg with a very bloody/gory end) and we then see her sewing a severed hand to an arm.
We see a body that's been assembled from various severed body parts.
May jams a pair of scissors into her eye (we don't see the impact, but do see lots of blood on her face, hand and arm). We then see her bloody eye socket as well as bloody eyeball that she puts on the above assembled body.

DISRESPECTFUL/BAD ATTITUDE: Adam talks badly about May behind her back (although she overhears that).
A young woman has a bad attitude toward needy kids, referring to some unseen ones as "retarded."
Adam lies to May (about a laundromat washer not working).
Angry that her cat won't come to her when she calls it, May throws a heavy clay ashtray at it, killing the cat (we don't see the impact, but do see the dead and bloody cat).
Polly's lover has a bad attitude toward May.
May kills various people and then cuts up their bodies.

FRIGHTENING SCENES: Scenes listed under "Violence" and/or "Blood/Gore" might also be disturbing or suspenseful to some viewers.
For those who don't like violence against animals, there's a scene where May throws a heavy clay ashtray at her cat, killing it (we don't see the impact, but do see the dead and bloody cat). We later see various scenes with the dead cat, including her having it in the freezer.
Once we see that May can kill people, her scenes with others (that also result in grisly deaths) may be unsettling or suspenseful to viewers.

GUNS/WEAPONS: None of the traditional sense, but scalpels are used to kill people. See "Violence" for details.

IMITATIVE BEHAVIOR: Phrases: "What the f*ck is that?" "F*ck you," "You f*cking freak," "You are so f*cking weird," "No sh*t," "Sh*t, man," "This is some sick sh*t," "Dumb sh*t," "You are a real pr*ck," "What the hell?" "You crazy bitch," "Freak you out," "Jeez," "Scared the hell out of me," "Chick" (woman), "Shut up," "Freak," "Piece of ass" and "Piss like a race horse."
Several characters have tattoos.
May wears a midriff-revealing top, as does Polly later.
May presses a scalpel into her fingertip and then does the same to Polly who likes it after the initial shock.
Adam presses what we eventually learn is a fake knife into May's clothed body (she likes that and then does the same back to him).
While making out with Adam, May bites him on his lip hard enough to draw blood (that she then purposefully smears on her face and chest).
We see a miscellaneous young woman with a small chain running from her pierced ear to her pierced nostril.
Angry that her cat won't come to her when she calls it, May throws a heavy clay ashtray at it, killing the cat (we don't see the impact, but do see the dead and bloody cat).
A minor character has long, spiked hair.

JUMP SCENES: None.

MUSIC (SCARY/TENSE): None.

MUSIC (INAPPROPRIATE): An old song has the line, "My baby does the hanky-panky."

PROFANITY: At least 10 "f" words, 6 "s" words, 1 slang term each using male and female genitals ("pr*ck" and "p*ssy"), 3 hells, 2 asses (1 used with "hole"), 2 uses of "G-damn" and 1 use each of "Jesus," "Jesus Christ" and "Oh Jesus Christ."

SEX/NUDITY: A miscellaneous couple does some passionate kissing (clothed) while standing in an elevator (as May looks on).
We briefly see May in her bra as she changes clothes.
The camera (and Adam's view) focuses on May's clothed butt as she bends over (and inadvertently shows the top of her underwear).
Polly is a lesbian who's attracted to May. When the latter passes by, Polly suggestively sucks on her own thumb.
Adam and May do some passionate, clothed kissing while standing in his bedroom (until she drives him backwards and he asks her who taught her how to kiss).
Polly wants May to dance with her and then suggestively asks, "Do you like p*ssy?" May is surprised by that and Polly then playfully says "pussycats." They then dance (in private and while clothed) and Polly kisses May (who isn't sure what to make of this).
A woman shows a little cleavage and then suggestively sucks a finger in a student film. After some bloody S&M material (biting, including taking a finger off), the two appear aroused and we then see the man lying between the woman's legs on the ground (both are clothed).
That gets May aroused and we then see her and Adam doing some passionate, clothed kissing, with him partially lying on top of her (with some groping and caressing). He takes his shirt off and then starts unbuttoning her top until she bites him on his lip hard enough to draw blood (that she then purposefully smears on her face and chest).
Polly calls May, states she's just sitting there in her nightie and asks, "How's my puss-puss?"
Polly passionately kisses May (both are fully clothed) and starts to unbutton her shirt (May looks a bit uncomfortable). She eventually gets the shirt open and we see May in her bra as Polly continues to caress and kiss her (on the lips and neck, etc.). Polly then kisses down May's chest and out of the camera shot (the scene ends there and we don't know what else, if anything, happens).
Polly states (about May seeing a woman's shapely legs in her place) that the woman was an opportunity she couldn't pass up. She then asks May if she wants to join them (she doesn't) and is somewhat pleased that May is jealous.
May has a stranger come back to her house. He says it's hot in there and removes his shirt, followed by suggestively asking if she has some ice cubes he can rub on his nipples (nothing else sexual happens when he finds a dead cat in her freezer).
We see a buxom young woman several times in small and tight clothing that accentuates her curves.
A comment is made about a "piece of ass."
May runs two scalpels along a woman's neck (somewhat arousing but also scaring the woman).

SMOKING: Both May and Adam smoke more than 5 times each, while Polly smokes once.
Adam also gives his pack of cigarettes to May and tells her to practice smoking. We then see various shots of the pack in several scenes (where it's the focus of the shot). In addition, a young girl makes May a clay ashtray.

TENSE FAMILY SCENES: None.

TOPICS TO TALK ABOUT: Lazy eye and May's mother telling her that if she wants to make friends, she should cover her lazy eye.
Being different from others.
Psychotic people.
A young woman has a bad attitude toward needy kids, referring to some unseen ones as "retarded."

VIOLENCE: May presses a scalpel into her fingertip and then does the same to Polly who likes it after the initial shock.
May bangs her hand down hard enough onto her doll's case that she bloodies her hand.
Adam shows May a student film he made that features a young couple frolicking about until the woman bites off the man's finger. Blood squirts all over her and we then see the bloody hand that's missing a finger. More biting occurs and soon the two are rather bloody.
While making out with Adam, May bites him on his lip hard enough to draw blood (that she then purposefully smears on her face and chest).
Angry that her cat won't come to her when she calls it, May throws a heavy clay ashtray at it, killing the cat (we don't see the impact, but do see the dead and bloody cat).
A class of blind kids wants May to take her doll from its case. When she won't, they grab at the case and try to pull it away from her, resulting in it falling to the floor where its glass shatters. She and the kids then scramble across the shards of glass (on their hands and knees), resulting in them cutting themselves (with bloody results).
May violently scratches at her eyes and we then see a shot of her face that shows blood there and her eyes looking very bloody and bloodshot.
We see a flashback of May grabbing a pair of scissors and then see a man holding his hands around them after they've been jabbed into his face (with very bloody results, but we don't see the impact). We later see the lower half of his dead and bloody body.
May runs two scalpels along a woman's neck (somewhat arousing but also scaring the woman). May then slices the woman's throat with them, resulting in a great deal of blood and her death.
May jabs two scalpels into both sides of a woman's head, killing her. We then see her blood mix with spilled milk on the floor.
May stabs a woman in the neck, resulting in a lot of blood.
May stabs and kills another person, but we don't see the actual impact.
May jams a pair of scissors into her eye (we don't see the impact, but do see lots of blood on her face, hand and arm). We then see her bloody eye socket as well as bloody eyeball.

Reviewed June 9, 2003 / Posted June 13, 2003

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