Serotonin (2021) MFA Thesis Film

This film was my final project that I completed at SCAD. It centers on a teenage girl named Lily who turns to Instagram models for advice on improving her life, and begins a series of dangerous self-inflicted body modifications.

A body horror film, Serotonin borrows inspiration from films such as Swallow and dramas such as Requiem for a Dream. It explores the topic of body dysmorphic disorder, or BDD, a mental disorder in which you perceive significant flaws in your appearance.

Additionally, the film serves as a commentary on young people's relationships with our bodies and social media, and although it demonstrates the horrific aspects of these dynamics, it also explores the reasons behind them in an empathic way. Why do we put falsified images of ourselves online, and how can these images mess with our perceptions of reality?

Also, it's just good ol' fashioned body horror n' gore, a genre that I love and wanted to pay homage to.

Film Link Coming Soon.

Serotonin recently wrapped up its festival run and will be publicly available to watch soon.