Excision

Pauline isn’t your typical teen. She picks scabs, dissects road kill, and fantasizes about performing surgery on strangers. Her fascinations disturb her parents and her classmates. Pauline reserves special disdain for “the church” and her “therapist,” Reverend William, who, in Pauline’s mind, is in no position to judge, or indulge in, her psychosexual fantasies. No one understands Pauline except for Grace, her younger sister, who suffers from cystic fibrosis. An outcast at school and at home, Pauline decides she is ready to lose her virginity. . . and this is when the weirdness really begins.

Richard Bates Jr. directs the hell out of this film with an expert understanding of multiple genres. Elements of horror, teen comedy, and cult classic are blended into a bone-jarring vision and peppered with great performances from the likes of Traci Lords and John Waters. But it is AnnaLynne McCord’s hideously captivating performance as Pauline that we may never forget. Excision will burrow under your skin and remain with you long after the lights come on. –Sundance Film Festival