Alena

[cyberghostface]

Starting off my October contributions is Alena, a teen horror story originally from Sweden.
 

Warning for suicide. Also a bit of gore and and some brief nudity.









One year later Alena is attending a boarding school. 










Fabian tries to talk but Alena doesn't want to.





At home Alena tells Josephine about how Philippa bullies her at school. Saying that Alena needs to stand up for herself, Josephine goes to Phillippa's house at night and throws a rock through her window.



















When Fabian leaves Josephine follows him.





Before she can finish him off the police arrive and Josephine flees. Alena later visits Fabian in the hospital, and he tells her the person who attacked him was Josephine. She tells him that it's impossible and he assumes that he just saw Josephine because of the photos.

Alena is debating whether or not to open Josephine's letter when Philippa grabs it. 


Alena asks Josephine if she attacked Fabian.




































Alena was later made into a film in Sweden. It's different from the sorurce material in a few significant ways and I personally think it's a bit better than the graphic novel. The trailer's below. If you like it, it's streaming on Shudder here and can be watched with a free trial.

Watch on YouTube

Comments

[alicemacher]

Yikes. That twist ending.

[razsolo]

I think one thing that was really missing from modern stories was more depictions of queer people as inherently mentally unstable so it's good that this comic exists to counteract that really

[razsolo]

(PS that was sarcasm in case anyone thinks I'm actually being serious)

[fra080389]

If this scandalized you, beware Nine Stones and Killing Stalking.

[cyberghostface]

That's your takeaway from this?

[fra080389]

I'm confused particularly about the bike scene, did Alena trip Fabian? That never happened? Or Josephine's ghost was an actual thing?

[cyberghostface]

I think it was Alena. Although it's open to interpretation.

[informationgeek]

That was fine, but I'm never a fan of the kill them all endings with rare, rare exceptions (Rogue One). Always feels like I wasted my time at the end and nothing was ultimately accomplished or changed. I get what this story is aiming at, but I feel so empty at the end reading this.