K-12
Cry Baby, a strong and sensitive girl, is sent off to a disturbing sleepaway school that’s hidden underneath a grandiose façade. Luckily, she has a sweet and unapologetic best friend who sticks up for her when she gets bullied by the other students whose brains are under control by the Principal and his wicked staff. With the help of the magical friends they meet along the way, as well as an Angelic Spirit Guide, they are able to gain the strength they need to fight off the school’s belligerent patriarchal conditioning.
Why it matters
A surreal, stylized plunge into adolescent rebellion framed as a dark fairy tale set inside a sinister boarding school.
- A visual feast of candy-colored gothic whimsy that blurs the line between music video and narrative cinema.
- Melanie Martinez’s distinctive voice and persona drive this hybrid project—an acquired taste that anchors the film’s thematic bite.
- Explores themes of patriarchal control and social conformity through a dreamlike, allegorical lens.
- Not a traditional horror film—more a mood piece with eerie undertones than a genre staple; best for viewers open to experimental storytelling and symbolic visuals.
Director
Cast
Horror DNA
Gore
14
Slow Burn
33
Psychological
100
Supernatural
100
Creature
0
Disturbing
100
Fun Factor
33
Cerebral
100
Survival
66
Cult
