Helter Skelter (2012)

Flawed, Unsettling but Visually Stunning - Helter Skelter review by griggs

Helter Skelter is a visually striking, chaotic descent into the pressures of fame, beauty, and self-destruction. It follows Liliko, Japan’s top model, whose surgically enhanced perfection is her greatest weapon and inevitable downfall. Aware that time is running out and that younger models are waiting to take her place, she’ll do anything to stay at the top. But beneath her glamorous façade, she is deeply miserable, trapped in a system that exploits and abuses her. Her agency controls every aspect of her life, forcing her to undergo extensive plastic surgeries while keeping the procedures secret. She’s manipulated, gaslit, and pushed to exhaustion, with no real autonomy over her body or career. The film’s feverish energy, surreal imagery, and dazzling colours create a nightmarish, almost fairy-tale atmosphere, immersing the viewer in Liliko’s fragile, crumbling world.

It reminded me of The Substance in how it explores the impossible pressures placed on women to maintain youth, beauty, and relevance. Both films delve into body horror, but Helter Skelter is more theatrical and melodramatic. In contrast, The Substance is brutal and direct, blending psychological horror with dark satire. It doesn’t fully develop all its ideas, and its chaotic structure can be overwhelming. Still, Erika Sawajiri’s intense performance holds it together. Her portrayal of Liliko’s increasing desperation and volatility makes her both tragic and terrifying. Flawed but fascinating, Helter Skelter is an unsettling, visually stunning exploration of the cost of beauty and the inevitable downfall of those who chase perfection at any cost.