(FANTASTIC FEST) “THE CRAMPS: A PERIOD PIECE” (2025) Is Horror, Hilarity, & Hormones Unleashed

Sep 19

Some movies feel like they were meant to rattle you, amuse you, and dare you to think differently about things you’ve taken for granted. Premiering at this year’s Fantastic Fest, “The Cramps: A Period Piece” does all three with a wicked grin and a splash of gore, all while wrapping itself in a deliciously vintage style that feels transported from another era of cinema. From its opening credits, which flicker and glow like something torn straight from a technicolor dreamscape, this movie doesn’t just tell you a story, it pulls you into an alternate world where reality bends, bodies ache, and horror collides with comedy in the most unexpected ways.

At its heart is Agnes Applewhite, played by newcomer Lauren Kitchen in her first feature role, and what a debut it is. Agnes is a blossoming young woman suffocated by the sanctimonious expectations of her family, particularly a mother who clings to tradition like it’s a holy text and a sister wound so tightly she squeaks when she walks. Kitchen, who exudes both innocence and an undercurrent of rebellion, carries the movie on her shoulders with remarkable ease. For a first-time film actress, she delivers the kind of performance that feels fully lived-in, quirky, vulnerable, and, when the horror elements kick in, startlingly raw.

SYNOPSIS:

“Agnes Applewhite (Lauren Kitchen) gets a job as a shampoo girl at a lively beauty salon, which goes against the wishes of her traditional family including her sanctimonious mother and tightly wound sister. As she begins this newfound journey to find her true self, she suffers from debilitating menstrual cramps, which blur the line between reality and nightmare for her and those around her. Part comedy, part fantastical horror and wholly unforgettable, Brooke H. Cellars' THE CRAMPS: A PERIOD PIECE takes the audience on a mesmerizing trip where John Waters' irreverence meets the macabre stylings of Mario Bava, all wrapped in the dreamlike allure of Federico Fellini”.

It’s no small feat to headline a movie, let alone one that demands the emotional extremes that “The Cramps: A Period Piece” does, but Lauren Kitchen proves she’s up to the task. She makes Agnes both endearing and exasperating, a character caught between personal discovery and physical torment. Her ability to toggle between sharp comedic timing and harrowing physicality is the glue that holds the film together. Watching her unravel as reality distorts under the weight of her cramps is equal parts hilarious and unsettling, which is exactly the point.

The movie is brimming with eccentric supporting characters, from the flamboyant salon regulars to the oddballs orbiting Agnes’ family life. These side players add layers of humor and texture, often stealing scenes with outrageous behavior that could have felt cartoonish in lesser hands. Instead, they round out the world with a vitality that makes every frame worth studying. The ensemble is outrageous without ever tipping into parody, walking that fine line that horror-comedies so often stumble over.

What immediately sets this film apart is its commitment to a vintage aesthetic. From the very first credits, it feels like a lost grindhouse or arthouse curiosity that somehow slipped into our timeline. The cinematography embraces saturated colors, heavy shadows, and bold framing choices, evoking everything from Mario Bava’s gothic surrealism to Federico Fellini’s dreamlike flourishes.

This isn’t just a stylistic gimmick; it’s a fully immersive choice that amplifies the story’s fantastical edge. The beauty salon itself feels like a candy-colored carnival ride, a place of liberation for Agnes that also doubles as a surreal stage for her most grotesque and nightmarish visions. The effect is intoxicating. You don’t just watch the movie, you feel yourself being transported into its heightened, hyper-stylized universe. By the time the opening credits dissolve, you know you’re not in Kansas anymore.

Much has been said about the John Waters energy in “The Cramps: A Period Piece”, and yes, the irreverence is there. The movie gracefully embraces camp, flamboyance, and an utter disregard for polite storytelling. Although, to say it’s merely a Waters homage would be underselling what Brooke H. Cellars has accomplished.

This is not a derivative film. It’s its own beast. It is a female-led, unapologetically weird, and laced with a horror streak that digs its claws deep. The menstrual cramps aren’t just a gimmick; they’re a gateway to explore pain, repression, and personal liberation through a blood-soaked, darkly comedic lens. It’s daring to frame something so ordinary yet stigmatized as a source of terror and absurdity, and Cellars clearly does it with confidence.

Brooke H. Cellars may be making their first feature here, but their pedigree in shorts is undeniable. With eight films under her belt since 2018, she has honed a style that thrives in both horror and comedy. Her award-winning short “The Chills” proved she could turn a clever script into festival gold, and “Violet Butterfield: Makeup Artist for the Dead” cemented her as a filmmaker with both vision and bite. That short didn’t just travel the festival circuit conquered it, collecting awards from Berlin to Overlook.

With “The Cramps: A Period Piece,” Cellars graduates to the feature stage without losing an ounce of her eccentric charm. What makes this leap so impressive is how assured the movie feels; the tone never wavers, the visuals remain arresting, and the balance between horror and humor is razor-sharp. This is a filmmaker who knows exactly what she wants to say and how to say it, and Fantastic Fest was the perfect venue for that voice to be heard loud and clear.

At a festival as eclectic as Fantastic Fest, where wild, boundary-pushing genre films battle for attention, “The Cramps: A Period Piece” stands tall as one of the year’s most memorable premieres. Its blend of outrageous comedy, stylish horror, and fearless storytelling fits perfectly into the festival’s tradition of celebrating the bold and the bizarre.

Fantastic Fest has long been a launchpad for filmmakers who refuse to color inside the lines, and Brooke H. Cellars joins that growing lineage with confidence. Much like past breakouts that have redefined what genre cinema could look like, this film asserts itself with a singular voice. One that is unapologetically female led, deeply personal, and wildly inventive. The decision to explore something as taboo as menstrual cramps through the lens of horror comedy feels exactly like the kind of risk Fantastic Fest was built to nurture.

By premiering here, the movie doesn’t just find its first audience, it finds its tribe. Fantastic Fest has always championed voices on the fringes, and this year, it gave the stage to a filmmaker turning cramps into chaos, comedy into terror, and vintage style into something entirely new.

“The Cramps: A Period Piece” is the kind of movie that sneaks up on you with its audacity and sticks with you because of its artistry. Lauren Kitchen makes a stunning debut, Brooke H. Cellars proves herself to be a filmmaker to watch, and the supporting cast keeps every corner of this world buzzing with life. The vintage cinematography, the surreal tone, and the brazen subject matter combine into something you won’t soon forget.

Its premiere at Fantastic Fest feels more than fitting, it feels like destiny. Festivals like this exist to unearth movies that challenge norms and thrill audiences in equal measure, and “The Cramps: A Period Piece” has all the makings of a future cult classic. It’s outrageous, it’s beautiful, it’s hilarious, and it dares to turn something universal yet stigmatized into a work of horror-comedy art. Fantastic Fest gave it a stage, and from here, its legacy as one of the year’s boldest indie debuts is just beginning.

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Christopher James

Christopher is a stand-up comedian and horror movie specialist who's reviewed everything from blood-soaked indie gems to big studio screamfests. A devoted fan of found footage horror and 80’s to current slashers. He’s known for crafting sharp, entertaining reviews that have earned praise from fans and filmmakers alike, including for hits like Terror Films Releasing’s “Hell House LLC Origins: The Carmichael Manor” and “Hell House LLC: Lineage.” As host of the “I Love Horror” podcast, Christopher dives headfirst into the genre’s creepiest corners, always bringing a mix of film savvy, dry humor, and just the right amount of dread.