Not Him

Not Him is an independent horror film about domestic violence. This women-led feature film is based on the award-winning short of the same name. Director and co-writer Sarah Young was inspired to create Not Him after helping her sister escape an abusive marriage.

When newlywed Michelle’s estranged mother passes away suddenly, she and her doting husband, John, are tasked with cleaning out her childhood home, forcing her to confront the trauma of her painful childhood.

Michelle finds a collection of home videos in the basement of the house. Compelled to watch, she begins to suspect something sinister is at work in the tapes, poisoning their minds and twisting their marriage into something strange and violent.

Director's Statement from Sarah Young:

"My sister is a survivor of extreme intimate partner violence. I have witnessed firsthand the horror of it, how easy it is to be ensnared in an abusive marriage, how isolating and impossible it can feel to get away, to even think of asking for help. I was my sister's main support as she fought for two years to free herself and her son from its insidious grasp. This film is for her.

Bringing Not Him to life is incredibly important to me. I want people like my sister to see themselves centered, not the abuser, but their terrifying experience as the heart of the film. I want them to see a world where they are believed, where escape is possible. I want this film to deepen everyone's understanding of this all-too-real nightmare, because only by tackling DV with the hard, unflinching eyes of real-world experience can we work to end it once and for all. "