That's the mantra—or maybe a warning—from the first few seconds of Electra's trailer. And honestly? You'll need it. This isn't your standard thriller. It's a neon-drenched, unicorn-obsessed, Italian-set mind-bender that feels like The Talented Mr. Ripley on acid. And somehow, it stars Maria Bakalova (Borat 2) and Abigail Cowen (Fate: The Winx Saga) in what might be the year's most unpredictable indie flick.
The WTF Factor
Let's be real—most thrillers follow a formula. Dark lighting. Tense music. A twist you see coming from mile away. Electra? Nope. The trailer opens with a surreal shot of a unicorn painting, cuts to Bakalova whispering cryptic warnings, then dives into a montage of lavish Italian villas, whispered lies, and… is that Jack Farthing (Poldark) playing a musician who may or may not be a sociopath?
Director Hala Matar—the first Bahraini woman to release a feature film—isn't interested in playing it safe. Her background in high-fashion music videos (Louis Vuitton, Chanel) bleeds into every frame. The result? A thriller that feels more like an art installation than a traditional whodunit.
Why This Might Actually Work
- Maria Bakalova, Unhinged: After stealing scenes in Borat 2, she's clearly here to prove she can do anything—including playing a woman caught in a web of deceit while rocking a killer wardrobe.
- The Ripley Vibes: The comparison is inevitable. A gorgeous setting, wealthy people behaving badly, and a creeping sense of dread. But Electra swaps Ripley's cool calculation for something more… psychedelic.
- The Unicorn of It All: Matar's tease about the unicorn as a “mask of innocence” is the kind of symbolism that could either be genius or pretentious. No in-between.
The Big Question: Will It Deliver?
Trailers can lie. (Looking at you, It Comes at Night.) But Electra's strangeness feels intentional—not like a studio trying to hide a bad movie. Matar's feature debut is a gamble, but in an era of safe, algorithm-approved cinema, that's refreshing.
This might flop hard or become a cult obsession. Either way, you'll wanna see it.
Will Electra be a masterpiece or a mess? Check out the trailer and decide for yourself before it hits theaters and VOD on May 2nd.
