Dirk V
Reviewer

      “May” is one of the best horror films I have ever seen. It achieves a perfect blend of suspense, drama, comedy and blood. It does not solely rely on any one of these key elements for horror films. It uses them all to create a film best described as eerie.
 
      May Canady, wonderfully played by Angela Bettis, is a shy, timid girl with a lazy eye. She is an assistant in a veterinarian’s clinic and assists in surgeries and sews up animals. Awkward around people, her only friend is her glass-encased doll made by her mother and given to her at a young age when she could not make friends. As her mother was giving her the doll, she told her, “If you can’t find a friend, make one.” The main plot of the story revolves around her attempt to win the affections of Adam, played by Jeremy Sisto, who she believes has a perfect pair of hands. At first Adam is intrigued by May. However, after spending time with her he is repulsed by her weird behaviors, such as talking to a doll and licking blood. After Adam rejects her and her doll is broken, May decides to make a new friend.
 
      The first two-thirds of the film are used to develop the relationship between Adam and May. These scenes are key to the film and are far from boring. It is interesting to watch May become increasingly odder and more demented as the film progresses until the moment she snaps and becomes eerily assertive in her quest to create the perfect friend. Which brings us to the last third of the movie filled with blood. Although it is a violent sequence, it is still filled with the amusing, almost corny dialogue one would expect from a horror film.
 
      The movie is well written, directed, and acted. Lucky McKee’s writing and directing is superb. Bettis gives an inspired performance showing the deterioration of May’s sanity, and a great performance as a remorseless killer. Sisto’s portrayal of Adam is perfect for the film. He is able to act out both attraction and repulsion for May at the same time. Anna Faris and James Duval are great in comedic relief. Faris is delightfully amusing as the lesbian receptionist wanting May to take care of her pussy, Loopy, and Duval is hilarious as a man off the street May tries to befriend.
 
      The film is similar to many other horror films. It has the basic plot of the society-shunned individual seeking revenge. However, it has a few other references for horror fans to appreciate. Some of the main references are from the “Frankenstein” movies. The parallels between May’s desire for acceptance and that of the monster are similar. Her method of creating a new friend by sewing together parts of human bodies is a direct reference, as is the Frankenstein monster tattoo on Duval’s arm.
 
      McKee’s use of drama, suspense, and horror combine to make “May” an amusing yet creepy good time.