As disaster strikes a mother and her newborn baby, we are given a brief glimpse into the life of a woman living alone on an empty country manor, loneliness and isolation making each day a struggle. A nocturnal funeral rite in her backyard necropolis of dying flowers and tiny skulls make us wonder as to her history.

The film has very little dialogue, instead relying on visuals to tell the story, and with some slightly surreal shots featuring snakes and scorpions lining the floors and stone birds swinging lifeless from a mobile above an unoccupied cot it initially has the feel of an extended music video. However, it is soon revealed to be a modern day gothic tragedy as the woman glides in grieving somnambulism through the corridors of her lonely mansion where the barren rooms echo the silent judgement of voices from the past that haunt her every step.

The script was written for The ABCs of Death 2, and since the submitted shorts were required to begin with M, you’ll quickly realise what its original title would have been as you figure out the woman’s unstated but self-evident identity. As well as the mythological overtones, the film is also a statement about depression, and when you believe yourself to truly be the monster that others would perceive you as, there is a limit to how much you can take. Serpent’s Lullaby is a serene and sorrowful tale, the music and imagery combining into an experience darkly emotional and endlessly chilling.

SERPENT’S LULLABY / CERT: TBC / DIRECTOR: PATRICIA CHICA / SCREENPLAY: CHARLES HALL / STARRING: JENIMAY WALKER, ANABELLA HART / RELEASE DATE: TBC