These dark moments hurt the film so much because the cinematography, by Pedro Pablo Brenes, is beautiful. The film looks arty and dreamy, which makes the violent horrors even more shocking. The lighting accentuates the intense emotions and heavy drama perfectly. When it can be seen, this is a gorgeous yet horrific film to gaze upon.
The other problem with The Girl Inside The Photograph (aside from how close its name is to The Girl In The Photographs) is the ending. While the film’s message may not fully land due to certain elements, with the appropriate conclusion, that could be forgiven or even seen as intentionally ambiguous. But the final seconds of the film, before the credits, are a head-scratching bit of stupidity. No spoilers, but it comes out of nowhere, makes no sense, and just leaves all watching confused and frustrated as it doesn’t answer any of the mysteries at play. Whichever of the three writers came up with this ending and lobbied for it should be given an intervention.
“…Brownlee handles her feature-length debut with poise.”
But saving the horror title from being a pretty waste of time is the acting. Brownlee handles her feature-length debut with poise. She’s engaging and sells the drama and fear with authenticity. Issermann gets a moment, some 54 or 55 minutes in, to let loose, and she makes a meal out of it. She’s both loving, terrifying, and insane; great stuff. Hunt’s calm demeanor adds realism to the proceedings and plays off Brownlee nicely. Rogers subtly sells his role’s haunted backstory in a relatable way. Hugo could have been a cliche or annoying, but Sadovsky is empathetic and even sweet.
The Girl Inside The Photograph is a haunting and stylish affair, when it can be seen. The mystery is interesting and ratchets up nicely… until the ending blows it all. But the cast, especially Brownlee, holds it all together and keeps viewers engaged, despite all its flaws. Overall, this is an interesting debut that shows promise, but isn’t quite perfect.
The Girl Inside The Photograph screened at the 2026 Dances with Films New York.
"…a haunting and stylish affair, when it can be seen."
