Lavenza 

LAVENZA 🏰 

LAVENZA may have been made in 2024, but it’s torn right out of the pages of a bygone era—the golden age of gothic horror in Hollywood.

This is a Frankensteinian tale that follows a woman who has reached a breaking point with her husband’s unwillingness to love her back. She becomes envious of the women that have caught her husband’s eye, which leads her to forcefully morph into the dream girl she knows he desires. Blinded by her jealousy LAVENZA commits unforgivable acts for the greater good of her marriage, just to find out it was doomed before it even began.

The technical craft of filmmaking is brilliantly displayed in this gorgeously developed tale of love and despair. From the immersive and atmospheric sound design to the distinct visual aesthetic captured in the wonderful cinematography and the eerie score that ties everything together—LAVENZA is a great example of how a film is more than just the performers within it.

I say that because the performances at times felt tonally at odds with the characters and this time period, which unfortunately took away some of the shine of the overall film. Celina Liu as Justine is the one performance that stood out above the rest with real scream queen energy.

The themes of LAVENZA also prove that just because it’s a reimagined story from the past doesn’t mean it doesn’t hold relevance today. This woman is trying to win over the losing battle of the male gaze, and in an era where one day thick is in, and then the next it’s being slim—it goes to show that the only person you should be winning over is yourself, and if they can’t love you for that, then they don’t deserve you in the first place.

… but when you’re blinded by love, that’s easier said than done, leading to this story of becoming the version of yourself the one you love will love—while losing every part of yourself in the process.

In director Lauren Eden’s LAVENZA, beauty truly is in the eye of the beholder.

Enjoy! 🍿 🎥

Runtime: 11mins

Lavenza Review (2025) The Richmond Reviewer - July 21st, 2025.

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