The Eyes of My Mother

Francisca grows up in a quiet rural setting where daily life runs gently, almost ritualistically. A sudden tragedy shatters that calm, and she reconstructs the world with chilling precision. The film follows her quiet routines as she processes loss, locking herself away from the town and family that once touched her life. When strangers intrude, her responses grow unsettling, turning ordinary moments into acts of control. The tone is austere and intimate, with close shots and stark shadows keeping the horror just out of sight. Night after night the camera tracks her rituals, a lamp flicker, objects that carry memory.

Directed by Nicolas Pesce, The Eyes of My Mother is his feature debut. It rests on an original screenplay and a shoestring budget of about three hundred thousand dollars, with a small cast led by Kika Magalhaes. The look relies on natural light and tight framing to intensify unease throughout.

Critics describe the film as a stark meditation on grief and isolation, rendered through deliberate pacing and clinical visual composition. It invites patience and focus, rewarding viewers who read the restraint and the implied danger in quiet, ordinary settings. Its minimal soundscape and static framing amplify unease, inviting multiple viewings.

It earned festival attention and helped establish Pesce's distinctive, precise visual voice in independent horror. While not a box office hit, the film's reception among critics and festival programmers highlighted its spare, unsettling approach as a signature move, drawing comparisons to restrained horror classics and signaling Pesce's future indie projects.

Its stark black and white visuals and restrained sound design are often cited as influencing a wave of arthouse horror that prioritizes mood over gore. The Eyes of My Mother stands as an example of how minimalism can intensify dread, inspiring students and filmmakers who study restraint over graphic gore.