The Maus – aka – Maus is a 2017 fantasy horror film written and directed by Yayo Herrero [as Gerardo Herrero Pereda]. It stars August Wittgenstein, Alma Terzic and Ella Jazz.
Plot:
Alex and Selma are a couple in love on a trip to the heart of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Suddenly, Selma feels somebody chasing them. She clings to her Muslim amulet, “hamajlija”, causing the mysterious force to emerge from the forest…
Reviews:
” …it is both an examination of the state of the nation and a horror story. The forest becomes a prison for all the characters who desperately fight against their own prejudices and try not to repeat the mistakes of the past. It’s this fight that Yayo Herrero is most interested in exploring with his sharp eye.” Fantastic Fest
“Herrero had enough ideas for a short to mid-length film and he is clearly technically accomplished to pull it of, but a feature, even though it is a simple “slasher in the woods” trope, has proven to be too much for him.” A Film a Week
“Horror has long been an excellent vehicle for political messaging, though rarely this concise and direct. If one could imagine Maus as an apolitical horror movie, it would be a fair film, though particularly cruel and unforgiving. But the voice of the creator uplifts it, and as a Trojan horse for its humanist sociopolitical messaging, it is excellent.” Goomba Stomp
“The assured feature debut of writer/director Yayo Herrero, it introduces just enough hints of the supernatural and the transgressively political to inspire post-screening conversations — some of which will conclude that the ingredients don’t quite add up” The Hollywood Reporter
“Maus brilliantly uses horror tropes—the “backwoods” killer, the victim / final girl, shocking violence—to represent war’s indelible after-effects. And the vision is a chillingly nihilistic one. All of Alex’s blind optimism (the Serbians mockingly call him “Europe”) about how they can all get along is proved tragically wrong […] It’s a difficult film to watch but one that is thoroughly worth the effort.” Horror Home Room
Cast and characters:
- August Wittgenstein … Alex
- Alma Terzic … Selma
- Ella Jazz … Ella
- Aleksandar Seksan … Vuk
- Sanin Milavic … Milos
- Diana Fernández Pérez … Maus
Filming locations:
El Espinar, Segovia, Castilla y León and Canary Islands, Spain
Watch trailer on YouTube
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