Dysmorphic

Body horror exploring the turmoil of beauty standards and body dysmorphia is on the rise, with recent hits like The Substance leading the charge. While women have been the focal point of such stories, men have largely been left out of the conversation. Grant Swanson’s surreal and disturbing short, Dysmorphic, looks to change that by using the horror genre to tackle these themes through a male perspective. The story of a man struggling with his self-image who receives a supernatural vision offering a way to win over the girl of his dreams, he strikes a deal with a demonic entity – with unsettling consequences.

With a runtime of roughly 25-minutes, Dysmorphic may be slightly longer than the typical Short of the Week feature, but it certainly won’t feel like it. Swanson’s engrossing storytelling allows the camera to linger on the more upsetting aspects of his character’s mental illness, making his audience fear not only what his lead character, Aaron, might do to himself but also what harm he might inflict on others. Adding to that sense of unease, actor Austin Ford, who plays Aaron in the film, gives an altogether unforgettable performance that will leave a lasting impression on your psyche. 

Austin Ford, stars as Aaron, the main character in Dysmorphic

As we watch Dysmorphic’s story unravel, the film builds an intense sense of dread as we witness Aaron’s self-loathing reach alarming heights, regarding himself as inadequate and women as a mere means to an end. Overtones of toxic masculinity and the isolating debilitation of this mental disease make for a horrifying viewing experience. Coupled with the supernatural element and the irony of becoming a “male slave” to a demon in order to become the “ideal man” it all becomes delightfully twisted. 

“I can say that it is a horribly painful mental illness – a real-life horror film”

Dysmorphic was born from Swanson’s personal battles with body dysmorphia during his youth, a struggle that left him grappling with feelings of inadequacy and anxiety. “Speaking from personal experience, I can say that it is a horribly painful mental illness – a real-life horror film. It feels like you’re wrestling with a demon and you so badly wish you could just be someone else, but in the midst of it, there is no hope of escape or change. Others don’t understand what it is, and they say you’re just being too fussy about your appearance.”

Swanson goes on to explain that he wanted to tell this story because it’s the kind of film he wished he had seen when he was younger – horror elements aside. “It is my hope that when they see Aaron’s struggles represented on screen, that they know that others are going through the same thing, and that they feel less alone,” he explains.

With Dysmorphic screened at the Fantasia International Film Festival, among others, we’re excited to host the online premiere of the film on Short of the Week. Reflecting on the project, Swanson reveals that although “things have been better for many years”, he still felt the need to “express and honor those past feelings on screen.”

Looking ahead, Swanson is busy with a slate of projects, including Iron Lake, his thesis short film, and its feature-length screenplay adaptation, as well as several genre-forward scripts currently in development.