With the film Jessicka Rabid, writer/director Matthew Reel has collaborated with actress/producer Elske McCain to create a work that is brutal and unsettling, yet oddly poetic. Located firmly at the intersection of arthouse and grindhouse, the movie is rewarding, but definitely is not a standard piece of commercial product.

Brad Hoffman (Jeff Sisson) and his cousin Marley Hoffman (Trent Haaga) live in a modest tract house on the edge of the Arizona desert. Marley, nominal head of the household, has his hands full managing his small-time drug deals and keeping Brad in line. They are the very definition of a dysfunctional family. And locked in a cage in the garage is the family’s dirty little secret: the simple-minded Jessicka (Elske McCain). Possessing the body of a woman and the mind of a child, Jessicka is used as Brad’s personal sex toy and pimped out to pornographers for fast cash. When Brad’s sister Abby (Cisiany Olivar) returns home and Marley leaves town on business, events occur that drive the story to its inevitable, violent conclusion. That’s about it, plotwise. Although there is a story being told, there’s not really a traditional narrative structure at work.

After months of work, Jessicka Rabid, Matthew Reel and Elske McCain’s shocking new flick, is rapidly nearing completion. ScreamTV’s Theron Neel just received some exclusive shots from the film and spoke with Elske about all things Jessicka.

So, wow,  Jessicka Rabid! This is an exciting film for you, Elske. You are the star, lady! Can you give us a synopsis of the plot?

Jessicka Rabid is basically an example of the abuse and dehumanization of a woman in a dysfuntional family. She is mentally handicapped, so she is treated more as the family pet than a true member of the family.