There’re plenty of ideas and concepts that are intriguing and thought provoking in Mallory’s Ghost, having its world premiere in the Competition section of SXSW Film & TV Festival 2026, but not all of them land. Nick Canellakis (Talent Has Hunger) and Arabella Oz (Color of His Eyes) switched between many hats to bring to life a story of self-love, obsession, self-worth, and identity, but it only mostly works as the film has a lot happening and not a lot of it connecting. Oz penned the screenplay and she and Canellakis both co-directed, edited, and star in the film. Sometimes doing less may ultimately prove to be more.
Mallory (Oz) and her boyfriend Sam (Canellakis) decide to take a trip to the beautiful coast of Maine. He wants to escape and get lost in nature to re-spark his inspiration and focus on writing his next play. The house they stay at is owned by Lorna (Delphi Harrington) and Sam has been here before, suggesting it’s a muse or a space that he enjoys immensely and helps reinvigorate himself without getting lost in the work and still able to be present. Everything is going rather normally and fine until Lorna mentions off the cuff that on a different trip, before Sam and Mallory met, Sam brought Louise (Anjelica Bosboom) to this exact house, this exact location. Jealousy overtakes Mallory as her self-worth and identity take a hit. While Mallory wants to let go of the information she’s been presented, she slowly starts to become obsessive with Louise, believing she is being haunted by a ghost that is Louise herself. Going in a downward spiral, Mallory constantly fades between past and present, competition and love, and slowly starts to become a new person. Can she find her way back to herself or will this permanently change who she is and how she sees herself, and others?
L-R: Arabella Oz as Mallory and Nick Canellakis as Sam in MALLORY’S GHOST. Photo Credit: Jeff Griecci. Photo courtesy of SXSW.
What works for Mallory’s Ghost is the co-direction from Oz and Canellakis, which feels more seasoned than that of a first feature outing, offering something inherently interesting and that flows naturally. Oz’s screenplay, as well, is inventive and playful despite having its ups and downs and being too long to fully address or answer many things, leaving many stones unturned. Ideas are left to overflow and saturate more than necessary while some concepts are left not fleshed out fully. This would’ve been far tighter and possibly more cohesive and effective if it was cut down to a tight 50 minutes instead of the 87 it runs, given both of their experiences in writing and directing shorts. And, while they acted well, Canellakis and Oz lacked the objectivity to solidify a performance from themselves and each other that portrayed the anxiety, stress, positions, and transformative nature that Oz penned. There was a lot more left to be desired in this descent of character and transformation while Sam sort of looks on from the outside in.
An objective eye to better flesh out the performances and form the dynamic would’ve brought more of a pulse to Mallory’s Ghost than the hauntings of girlfriends past.
Screening during SXSW Film & TV Festival 2026.
For more information, head to the official SXSW Film & TV Festival Mallory’s Ghost webpage.
Final Score: 3 out of 5.
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Categories: In Theaters, Reviews
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