Fortune telling is an art I am very fond of — I do partake in divination from time to time. Lately I’ve found a lack of psychics in horror movies (at least in the ones I’ve been watching lately), and am glad to see Laughing Hearse Entertainment take on that challenge with this comedic short: Madame Dietrich.
In bustling Manhattan, Madame Dietrich runs her quirky psychic shop, helping an array of colorful customers seeking mystical insights. Balancing her eccentric professional life with caring for her aging father, Dietrich navigates daily challenges and unexpected events that test her skills and spirit, propelling her into a journey of self-discovery and transformation.
Madame Dietrich
At first glance, Madame Dietrich feels like a straight-up comedy, no horror in sight. The all-seeing Madame (Mariana Saba) spends her days taking requests from lovesick ladies, McRib-obsessed men, those who keep losing everyday items and even a child looking for his dad after a fight with his mom. All of this is done so she can help her ailing father keep the roof over his head. It is both funny — as she munches on pizza while posing for OnlyFans — and heartbreaking — encouraging the kid to focus on an upcoming chess tournament instead of his dad’s sudden departure. All enjoyable snippets of Madame Dietrich’s life, but not horror.
Until the last customer shows up; the ghost of vocalist Patti Sapphire (Addie Guidry) appears in a mirror and begs Dietrich for help in solving her murder. While we only see the beginnings of their “friendship,” it is still a sign of the horrors of the situation at hand. Here we are, the audience being led to believe Madame Dietrich was a scam artist (albeit with good intentions), when we see she really does have some sort of power. Remaining solidly in the comedy realm, Madame Dietrich poses a world of possibilities — both in the past and future. How did Patti die? Will her murder be avenged? Will Dietrich learn to go out on her own, instead of partying only when Patti possesses her? This 20-minute short cut off at such a good turning point!
And then I got to thinking: maybe Madame Dietrich was hiding the horrors behind a wall of laughs the whole time. A murdered singer and possession are obvious traits of the genre, but looking deeper, Madame Dietrich is full of subtle spookiness. Take Dietrich herself; she holds seemingly unlimited psychic power to see into the future and help others in their quests for answers. The lovesick woman is tormented by what could have been, hopeless and given hope again. The McRib man takes obsession to another level, him dreaming of this seasonal food item (there are rumors that it is back on the menu when pork prices are low, FYI). A woman searching for her AirPods is so unbelievably ditzy that I fear for her day-to-day life in the concrete jungle that is New York City. And the kid — Jesus — he evokes so much sadness and longing, like a circle of Hell. These are all inner workings of our minds that we often hide away from the world, as if we are scared of having these feelings. The comedy of Madame Dietrich makes you forget what being alone or lost feels like. But at the end of the day, you only have your thoughts to be alone with.
On a more lighthearted note, Madame Dietrich is a portrait of a point in time. As pictures are worth 1,000 words, Madame Dietrich holds a thousand possibilities for a thousand people. Some are fun and upbeat, while others are ominous and mournful. A single lunchbreak cannot possibly feed my hunger for more of this story, and more of the Madame.
Catch Madame Dietrich on Instagram. For more work from writer/director Geordy Skolnick, follow him on Instagram too!
