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‘The Moths Will Eat Them Up’, created by Luisa Martiri and Tanya Modini, tells the story of a woman’s late-night train ride that turns sinister as a man subjects her to a chilling game of intimidation through creepy stares and subtle threats.
At just 14 minutes, the short film opens with a moody shot of moths circling a streetlight as the protagonist (Ling Cooper Tang) walks alone toward the station, where four men are already waiting. It’s the kind of scenario that would put most women on edge.
Things only get worse for Ling Cooper Tang’s character when she boards her train home, which is mostly empty, except for a handful of male passengers. One of them (played by Kevin Spink) starts to intimidate her throughout the ride, starting by deliberately brushing against her.
‘The Moths Will Eat Them Up’ unfolds as a tense psychological thriller, where a lone woman grows increasingly terrified of a stranger lurking in the corner, as if waiting to do something devious. With each approaching station, the train becomes more deserted, heightening her fears and anxieties. What happens if they’re the only two people left on board?
Ling Cooper Tang embodies every woman who’s ever felt unsafe in a public space, making the viewer worry for her until the last minute. The climactic twist however delivers a swift supernatural resolution which is far too metaphorical and feels too good to be true. Regardless, this is an interesting one-time-watch that captures the daily dread of women navigating spaces dominated by men.
‘The Moths Will Eat Them Up’ is on YouTube.
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