by David E. Teixeira’s Drama Queen is a tight, stylish burst of psychological horror that wastes zero time getting under your skin. In just a few minutes, the film manages to feel intimate, claustrophobic, and disturbingly personal — the kind of short that doesn’t just grab your attention but squeezes it.
The story revolves around a woman confronting a brutal emotional blow, and Catarina Carvalho’s performance is nothing short of riveting. She’s the engine of the film, pulling us into a headspace filled with confusion, hurt, and a slow-burning anger that never feels exaggerated. Her delivery is raw in a way that makes the character’s unraveling feel uncomfortably real. Teixeira sticks close to her, letting every shift in expression and every tightened breath build tension.
Visually, Drama Queen is a standout. The choice of a square aspect ratio traps the viewer right alongside the character, boxing her in both physically and emotionally. The framing, color choices, and pacing all work together to heighten the sense of confinement — you’re in her world, whether you want to be or not. It’s an approach that gives the short a surprising amount of weight and atmosphere for its runtime.
While the film isn’t drenched in gore, the violence that is there lands with real impact. Teixeira uses restraint to his advantage — nothing feels gratuitous, and the brutality that surfaces does so with purpose. When the tone shifts toward something more physically dangerous, it feels earned and shocking in all the right ways.
Beneath the surface, Drama Queen carries a deeper sting. The story taps into themes of identity, rejection, and the ugliness that can come from prejudice. It’s not preachy, and it doesn’t spell anything out for you — instead, it lets the emotional fallout speak for itself. The horror isn’t just in what happens, but in what the motivations imply about the world outside the frame.
Perhaps the strongest quality of Drama Queen is its precision. The film knows exactly what it wants to do and executes it confidently. There’s no filler, no wasted beats — just a steady tightening of the emotional screws until everything breaks.
Drama Queen – Final Thoughts
Drama Queen is a tense and chilling psychological short that leaves a mark long after it ends. With a commanding lead performance, strong visual identity, and a willingness to explore some uncomfortable corners of human behavior, it’s absolutely worth your time.
A sharp, unsettling, and impressively crafted piece of indie horror.
More about David E. Teixeira
