If I Can't Have Love, I Want Power

Queen Lila is pregnant, and the palace she lives in offers neither love nor safety. The film stages her pregnancy, the birth, and the tension between motherhood and power in the register of a fable, without building a chronological plot. The imagery draws on religious iconography, medieval painting and horror cinema. The structure is that of an album film: the tracks of Halsey's fourth studio album are staged in order. The music is by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, and the pair's hard industrial signature sets the film's tone as well. Colin Tilley directed, and it was prepared for IMAX. Halsey plays Lila, with Sasha Lane in the cast. Who it's for: Viewers curious about album films, visually dense music projects, and the Halsey and Reznor collaboration. Who it's not for: There is almost no narrative and the symbols go unexplained. Without the album, the imagery can stay context-free.