Featured Image Credit: locustgarden/YouTube
Topics: Film and TV, YouTube
Emily Brown
Are you in the mood to have your childhood ruined? If so, a filmmaker who's reimagined Shrek as a horror movie has got you covered.
Rather than Mike Myers' grumpy green ogre, filmmaker and YouTuber Andy Chen focuses on his love interest, Fiona, for his version of the childhood classic. But if you were hoping for the friendly green face of the animated Fiona, think again - and don't get sucked in by the opening bars of music:
Though we all came to know and love Shrek over the course of his four films, the ogre did initially depict himself as a terrifying beast - mostly so he could be left to live his life in peace.
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However, after he finds himself lumped with Donkey and on a mission to find the princess in the tower, we learn that ogres, like onions, have layers, and he's not so bad after all.
After watching Fiona, though, you probably won't have any desire to stick around and peel back the layers.
The terrifying new version of the film - which comes with an age restriction on YouTube - was released in its entirety last month on Chen's channel, locustgarden, after the disturbing trailer first raised the hype for its arrival.
Described as a 'fan film based on the characters and lore of Shrek', Fiona raises the question: "What did Princess Fiona do during all those years trapped in her castle?"
Far from painting, reading and brushing her hair like Rapunzel in Tangled, Chen's Fiona shows what happens when a knight who comes to rescue the princess finds out about her alter-ego before escaping the tower.
The entire film only lasts about four minutes, but that's all that's needed to show Fiona's transformation into a terrifying, man-eating ogre and the horror she unleashes upon the knight who watches the scene unfold.
Human Fiona is played by Sof Puchley, a three-time award winning actor and filmmaker, while 'ogre Fiona' is portrayed by Maddi Estrada, whose transformation into the terrifying beast can be seen on Chen's Instagram page.
The poor prince, who tries his best to flee, is played by Dakota Daulby.
While Fiona is potentially one of the most horrifying for film fans, Chen's YouTube channel locustgarden is packed with other videos from the horror genre including the film Close Your Eyes.
The film follows a man who discovers his roommate's terrifying secret and has earned Chen several festival awards, including best horror at the Venice Shorts festival in 2021.