Kaye Adelaide’s debut feature, The Rebrand, takes the frightening world of queer influencers and transforms it into a literal horror show, all while sporting a sly twinkle in its eye.
Through what is framed as a found-footage documentary, we discover what “really” happened to Blair and Thistle (Andi E McQueen and Nancy Webb), a lesbian lifestyle influencer couple who were cancelled after making transphobic comments during a live stream. It turns out that the disgraced duo hired Nicole (Naomi Silver-Vézina), a bisexual videographer, to film a comeback documentary, but things went horribly wrong.
As Aaron Sorkin taught us, “the number one audience manipulator among women is a pregnancy in jeopardy”* and Adelaide (along with her co-writer Nancy Webb) gleefully manipulate their audience, cranking up the stakes by making Nicole eight and a half months pregnant as she heads to the secluded home of the influencers. A classic “cabin in the woods” scenario. Nicole needs the money to secure an apartment for herself and her soon-to-arrive baby, and Blair and Thistle are happy to pay extra for Nicole to stay the night and film more.
The Rebrand reminded me of Nathan Fielder and Benny Safdie’s similarly docu-reality styled TV series The Curse. It’s a thriller so self-aware that it happily teases us throughout. As we see moments of what Nicole films with the couple—expanded upon with CCTV footage from the home’s expansive and slightly creepy security system—it becomes clear that things are not quite as they seem. But is it just more fake influencer nonsense, or is there something more sinister afoot? Are Blair and Thistle also expecting a baby? If so, why is Thistle downing champagne as though there’s no tomorrow, while Blair seems clueless about how long a pregnancy lasts? The more the couple pressures Nicole to stay the night, the less it seems like an invitation for a threesome, and the more it begins to feel like they are drawing her into a cult.
Webb’s portrayal of Thistle is deliciously off-kilter, often staring into space, unresponsive, or acting blissfully unaware of something happening right in front of her. She quickly recovers from her fleeting moments of jealousy, as her attitude strives to look as flawless as her makeup. McQueen’s Blair exudes a an enticing butch energy simmering with tension, especially as she casually gives Nicole a tour of the house, pointing out the baby goods with a massive pair of gardening shears (paging Chekhov!).
Given that the format tends to limits narrative options, as with many found-footage films, things sag a little in the middle. However, Adelaide has wisely kept The Rebrand to a tight 79 minutes. When the action hits full speed and things become completely unhinged, the filmmaker manages to maintain a playful tone while also building tension in the best horror traditions. The film’s effective scares and shocks come from the perfectly pitched performances and clever direction.
The Rebrand is an absolute blast, especially for those of us who roll our eyes at vapid influencers, and Adelaide clearly has a flair for hitting that sweet spot between horror and comedy. With direction that never overplays its hand and three engaging performances, this queer horror makes for a satisfying night at the cinema.
By Chad Armstrong
The Rebrand receives its Australian Premiere at Queer Screen’s 32nd Mardi Gras Film Festival in Sydney on Sunday February 23rd with filmmaker Kaye Adelaide in attendance for a post-screening Q&A. Head to queerscreen.org.au for more information and to purchase tickets.
*as said by Bradley Whitford’s Danny in Sorkin’s ‘Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip’- and, yes, Sorkin ended the series with a pregnancy in jeopardy.
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