Excess Flesh 2015

Jealous of her very thin supermodel roommate Jennifer Mary Loveless, the midsized Jill Effie Lavore binges and purges in an attempt to maintain her weight. Their relationship grows tenser as Jennifer mocks Jill’s issues, fueling a dangerous spiral that blurs the line between rivalry and fixation. In a chilling act born from anger and insecurity, Jill lashes out and chains Jennifer to the wall, taunting her with food while the apartment fills with a growing sense of decay.

As Jill sinks deeper into her distorted world, the hygiene of both woman and space deteriorates; the apartment becomes cluttered and unclean, a reflection of the unraveling grip on reality. The neighborhood and the film’s other figures— including the love interest and nearby neighbors who come to check on them—seemingly overlook the mounting danger, their concern muffled by the escalating tension between the two women and Jennifer’s relentless insults even while restrained.

Jennifer manages to escape at one point, and Jill runs her down on the street just as passing officers glimpse the girls in a state of near undress. Despite the presence of authorities, Jennifer remains silent, a riddle in the eyes of the onlookers. Back at the apartment, Jill pretends to be worried and caring, claiming she wanted to protect Jennifer from insomnia and stress as she restores the scene to a façade of normalcy, including a bath that attempts to showcase concern.

Jennifer’s attempts to seek help are cut off when Jill tightens her grip—strangling Jennifer into unconsciousness and trying to restore a sense of control. Pushed to the edge by Jennifer’s continual abuse, Jill finally stabs her to death and envisions taking Jennifer’s place on the modeling stage, a grim mirror of the life she once coveted. Yet when the scene settles, Jill remains alone in the filthy apartment, and the film leaves the unsettling implication that Jennifer may have existed only in Jill’s unraveling mind.