Kristine Kujath Thorp Tells Us Why We Need More Toxic Women on Our Screens
There’s a certain genre of cinema focusing on the body as slowly breaking down and decaying. Whether through illness, injury or a vivid imagination, the protagonist is always extremely stressed out about the situation and fiercely keeps it a secret - paradoxically, these characters often take a sick and twisted pleasure in their own grotesqueness. Some of my favourites of this twisted genre include The Fly (1986), Titane (2021), Safe (1995), In My Skin (2002) and many, many more. Sick of Myself joins this depraved cinematic canon. John Waters named it as one of his top films of 2022, reviewing it as “Pretty? Pretty? Pretty fucked up!” And if John Waters thinks its fucked up, you’re onto a winner.
It doesn't take a genius to recognize the limited autonomy women have over their own bodies. Currently, there is a cultural battle waged by right-wing forces in America, trivialising pregnancy and other aspects of women's health as something as mundane as council tax or potholes. Dr. Natalia Kanem notes that “We see violations of bodily autonomy when a lack of choice leads to unplanned pregnancy. We see it in life-derailing practices such as child marriage and female genital mutilation. It is there when people are denied their right to live free from violence and harm, including online, as is their bodyright.”
Polyester editor Eden Young sat down with the star of Sick of Myself Kristine Kujath Thorp to discuss autonomy, narcissism, jealousy, and how these relate specifically to women. In Sick of Myself, Signe - played by Kristine, feels an acute loss of power as her boyfriend climbs up the ladder of artistic success, finding himself in the upper echelons of the art world, and separating himself from her. Signe claims dominance back in the most extreme way, fucking with what society considers a womans most valuable asset: her body and her beautiful face. Kristine explains over video call that “There’s an undercurrent of female rage that can stem from a lack of control over one's own body” which she blames for making “Signe behave the way she does.”
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Kristine landed the role in Sick of Myself through a combination of fan mail and her belief that she was destined to play this part. She explains, "I've been dreaming of collaborating with director Kristoffer Borgli since I was 18-19 years old, I wrote to him incessantly. It was a dream come true to work with him and to do this kind of character that's an antihero, a female anti hero that you don't usually see on screen. That's the kind of character that I love playing. Those that I really don't understand from the get go and that I need to work hard on to try to figure out.
Does Kristine believe Signe is a likeable character despite all her many, many flaws that start at lying and seeking attention and validation on social media and escalate into complete, purposeful destruction of the human body and the betrayal of everyone around her? The girlies on Letterboxd believe so - prompting numerous “shes just like me fr” reviews. Kristine notes that she’s an anti-hero, but one that men don’t seem to gravitate towards, unlike the fanboy treatment insufferable male characters like Patrick Bateman and Travis Bickle receive.
“We’ve seen so many male anti heroes on screen. When I’ve read reviews on Letterboxd there's so many men saying ‘Oh my god, I hate her! She's the worst person in the world, I can't stand watching her any longer!’ Even though they liked the film and thought it was hilarious, they really despise her.” So why do women see ourselves in Signe?
“Fashion brands love to showcase disabled models in their campaigns but their inclusion often appears superficial and shallow, lacking a deeper commitment to inclusivity.”
It’s arguable that Signe’s self-obsessed, empathy lacking, art fraud boyfriend in the film is just as difficult and unlikeable as her. But Kristine implores us to look at the lack of men critiquing the behaviour of the boyfriend. “I get that people find Signe irritating but I really don't think people would have that reaction if she was a male.” Kristine adds, “People would be rooting for her, they’d be tolerating her and commenting that she was hilarious or interesting. Her boyfriend is so cynical and loves to bring Signe down but most people forget about him and comment on how horrible she is”
As well as exploring the female psyche, Sick Of Myself also comments on the way disabled people are treated in a tokenistic by the fashion industry. A climactic scene occurs after Signe has been signed to a modelling agency specialising in representing marginalised and disabled individuals. The drama and undercurrent of “things are about to go very, very wrong” comes to a head when she turns up at a photoshoot looking significantly more ill than they expected and starts bleeding all over the set. The fashion brand’s focus on inclusivity and representation quickly turns to disgust and panic as they escort her off set, sending a clear message to her - We want to be inclusive! But only when it’s palatable and the models fit into already pre-existing beauty standards.
Fashion brands love to showcase disabled models in their campaigns but their inclusion often appears superficial and shallow, lacking a deeper commitment to inclusivity. Sick of Myself shines a light on the way brands use disabled models as mere props to tick some diversity boxes, but rarely care about making actual systematic change. Sick of Myself satirises the ordeal with biting jabs towards the vapidness of such people working for fashion brands and modelling agencies. “It’s a difficult topic because we need diversity and to push marginalised people to the forefront but at the same time it’s just to sell products.” Kristine considers, “Are they striving for inclusivity or are they just doing it just for profit?”
Words: Eden Young
