Overlook Film Festival 2025 – Few films so far this year have as many uncomfortable scenes as The True Beauty of Being Bitten by a Tick. Even the very act of eating food will make a viewer squirm in director Pete Ohs’ lean film. Meanwhile, protagonist Yvonne’s (Zoë Chao) struggle to just find some refuge and solitude is all too relatable.

Yvonne yearns to escape the city after a life-altering tragedy. The full extent of what happened to her is revealed late in the film, though it’s teased from the opening, as Yvonne phones one of her friends, Camille (Callie Hernandez). The desperation in Yvonne’s voice is evident, so Camille invites her to stay at her rural home. Yvonne views this as a means to reset and find some reprieve. However, that doesn’t happen. Soon, Yvonne meets Camille’s realtor A.J. (James Cusati-Moyer) and his boyfriend, Isaac (Jeremy O. Harris). Both Isaac and A.J. stay at the house, which seems odd to Yvonne, rightfully so.

From there, Yvonne unravels, especially once she’s bitten by a tick early in the film. She can’t carve out any time to claim as her own. Whenever she finds a few minutes of alone time, it’s disrupted by A.J., Isaac, or Camille. Though the trio initially acts well-intentioned, they don’t give Yvonne what she truly needs or respect her wishes. It’s during these moments that the film really works, especially the sound design. Chewing, for instance, becomes an irksome noise. There are plenty of moments like this, underscoring Yvonne’s growing irritation and frustration. Every little game or meal she’s pulled into feels increasingly suffocating.

The film also successfully merges genres, namely horror, comedy, and drama. The extent of Yvonne’s trauma and guilt she harbors is teased and sprinkled throughout the film, until a fairly devastating reveal past the second half. Yet, well prior to that, there’s plenty of laughs and awkward moments, namely through the absurdity of A.J., Isaac, and Camille. Their well-meaning intentions to include Yvonne highlight the preposterousness of their characters and flawed actions. This is also why Yvonne is such a relatable character. Who hasn’t experienced the need to turn away from invitations and maybe just stay in bed for the day?

The film’s strangeness ramps up in the final act, as the tick bite drastically alters Yvonne’s behavior.  There are even a few elements of body horror before the credits roll. The feature really leans into weird territory in oh, about the last 15 minutes, and it may not work for everyone. The film works best when it’s focusing on the strained dynamics between Yvonne and the trio who keep badgering her to go along with the crowd when that’s the last thing she needs.

The True Beauty of Being Bitten by a Tick is one weird and entertaining film. It’s obvious the small cast, who wrote the film together, had fun creating this, while making the audience uncomfortable in the process. Through a mix of sound design, close-ups, and oddball characters, this feature stands out in all its strangeness.