ReelBob: ‘Medusa: Queen of the Serpents’ ★★½

A low-budget feature that is more about female empowerment than horror or Greek mythology.

“Medusa: Queen of the Serpents” is a treatise of female empowerment wrapped in the tropes of a low-budget horror film.

And while the premise is commendable and the execution is adequate, the movie needed more pacing.

Even at a mere 87 minutes, “Medusa” seems to simply crawl until its expected pay off.

The women characters are outsiders, while the men all are low-lives.

The main character, Carly (Megan Purvis), is a prostitute with a drug habit, who had quit the life, but returns to the secluded trailer site in the woods after a relationship that fizzled.

Carly is forlorn and resigned, realizing that being a plaything for men is the life she deserves.

But her life is forever altered when she is taken to a client whose snake, Alexis, bites Carly.

From there, Carly begins a slow metamorphosis.

Because the changes are gradual, “Medusa’s pace matches Carly’s transformation.

Those expecting a traditional horror movie will be disappointed. “Medusa” emphasis is on character and a social statement about female exploitation.

The movie, written and directed by Matthew B.C., based on a story by Scott Jeffrey, is black-and-white in concept. The women are portrayed as victims, the men as sleazy scumbags.

The performance of Megan Purvis as Carly propels the movie. Bit by bit, she begins realizing what is happening to her body and, at first reluctantly, begins to accept it.

But as her power grows, she comes to realize that she is no one’s pawn, that she is her own person.

“I’ve taken responsibility over my own life,” she tells her friend, Maura (Nicole Nabi).

As the film progresses, so does Carly’s self-awareness of her potential.

“Medusa,” while violent, is not as gory as you would imagine. Blood is shed, true, but the film’s horror aspects are restrained.

The centerpiece of the movie, for me, is the sequence when Carly, like a snake, begins to shed her skin. Though frightened, she is compelled to continue; to see her new self.

“Medusa” could have moved more quickly, but the filmmakers decision to keep a measured tempo both fits the story and challenges the viewer to come along and see if Carly finally reveals her true self.

I am a founding member of the Indiana Film Journalists Association. I review movies, 4K UHD, Blu-rays and DVDs for ReelBob (ReelBob.com), The Film Yap and other print and online publications. I can be reached by email at bobbloomjc@gmail.com. You also can follow me on Twitter @ReelBobBloom and on Facebook at ReelBob.com or the Indiana Film Journalists Association. My movie reviews also can be found at Rotten Tomatoes: www.rottentomatoes.com.

MEDUSA: QUEEN OF THE SERPENTS
2½ stars out of 4
Not rated, language, violence, disturbing images