Chicago International Film Festival 2026: Castration Movie Chapter III: Junior Ghosts - Premorphic Drift; a Fragmentary Passage

I had never heard of Canadian trans filmmaker Louise Weard before I saw her film, the bizarrely titled Castration Movie Chapter III: Junior Ghosts - Premorphic Drift; a Fragmentary Passage in the Chicago International Film Festival lineup. But after watching this standalone entry in what I discovered was an anthology series, I felt like I had missed out.

For those familiar with the indie filmmaking world, Weard will bring the work of Vera Drew and Alice Maio Mackay to mind, but her approach is all her own, intentionally grainy and DIY in a digital world, so much so that the everyday modern implements like cell phones feel out of place. It’s the kind of movie film festivals were practically made for, especially with the previously mentioned Drew and even Lilly Wachowski as producers.

The approach “Castration” takes to its story can’t help but fascinate: Izzy (Avalon Fast) is a woman who works from home in her crappy apartment taking calls as a suicide hotline operator. Her empathy seems to vanish the minute she hangs up the phone though, judging from her stable but deeply unsatisfying nine year relationship with her partner Trent, who she casually demeans as “f—y.” And that’s before they announce that they’re a trans woman, start going by Tiffany, and embracing femininity in a way that feels pretty spot on, taking far too much time to get ready when they’re running late for their restaurant reservation.

It’s not exactly surprising that Izzy wouldn’t react well given the foreshadowing, but it’s still disturbing to see how easily she devolves into toxicity, bolstered by an Internet that will reinforce any worldview searching for confirmation and justification. Fast does incredible work bringing such a destructive person to life, and Weard is surprisingly, touchingly compassionate as she delves into the psyche of a woman so affected by male violence and her own internalized victimization she’s determined to remain frozen in place, however much that hurts her and those she claims to love. 

However, there’s no consolation for the cis girls, as Castration also reveals just how painfully damaging and despicable women like this can be in the real world. If getting there takes a bit too long, there are ample rewards in the emotional complexity of the journey, from Izzy herself to other supposed progressives who are far too eager to police themselves and others for any chance at respectability. By the time things run their course, any remaining hope belongs to those who have already removed themselves to a more loving place.

Rating: A-