WHERE TRADITION MEETS TERROR
We believe that the power of horror lies not only in its ability to thrill and frighten but also in its capacity to reflect the complexities and diverse experiences of humanity.
Kaniehtiio Horn Delivers Cat-astrophe and Revenge in Her Feature Directorial Debut, SEEDS
Horn’s feature directorial debut, SEEDS, is a hilariously dark home-invasion thriller that pays homage to the indigenuity of Native women while also giving Rez cats the recognition and respect they deserve.
Kaniehtiio Horn, known for her roles in Letterkenny and Reservation Dogs, is no stranger to horror. Her resume is peppered with horror-related credits, including Hemlock Grove, Supernatural, and Possessor. So, it is unsurprising that Horn’s feature directorial debut, SEEDS, is a hilariously dark home-invasion thriller that pays homage to the indigenuity of Native women while also giving Rez cats the recognition and respect they deserve.
Before I continue, a huge thank you to Kaniehtiio for giving me the opportunity to see the film. I was absolutely heartbroken that I would have to wait until SEEDS located distribution here in the U.S. I was also a little mad that my mom made a mad dash back to Oklahoma when she went into labor with me because I’d like to believe if she hadn’t, I’d be sitting in a theatre somewhere in Saskatoon, watching SEEDS in the theatre the way it should and deserves to be seen.
In SEEDS, Ziggy (Kaniehtiio Horn) is a budding social media influencer and food delivery worker in Toronto who’s recently secured a brand deal with Nature’s Oath, a seed company with a “purpose.“ When her cousin calls and convinces her to house-sit for her Aunty, who is getting her snag on in New Zealand, she heads back reluctantly with her feline furbaby, Potato. Here, she reconnects with familiar faces and the comforting but frustrating rhythm of rez life, where wi-fi and cell service are hard to come by.
Ziggy’s homecoming turns dark when her cousin tells her she is working with the enemy as an ambassador for Nature’s Oath and that they are not as well-meaning as they portray themselves. Ziggy is not willing to believe it at first, but after doing some internet sleuthing and a violent break-in that results in one badass Potato kicking ass and claiming an ear before being taken out, she realizes Nature Oath’s intent to steal her family’s legacy, one of a kind seeds that have been passed down through generations of her family.
Once she realizes the truth, she vows to avenge Potato and protect the seeds with the help of her on-again, off-again “emotionally unavailable asshole,” Bandit. From this point on, let’s just say that John Wick could learn a thing or two from Ziggy, who proves that you should never underestimate the ability or lengths to which Native women will go to protect who and what they love, what matters most to their families and communities.
Despite a few hiccups, SEEDS masterfully weaves Indigenous horror and humor within a revenge-thriller framework. From beginning to end, it is funny, suspenseful, heartbreaking, and horrifying in all the best ways because the realism is still firmly rooted in fantasy and not tied directly to any real atrocity that haunts Indigenous communities today. It’s refreshing to see a Native movie that doesn’t dwell on atrocity but the indigenuity, humor, and toughness of Native people in how we survive and protect what matters most to us.
Horn’s performance as Ziggy is captivating and proof that she is not just a star but a LEADING star. She convincingly embodies and conveys Ziggy’s complexity as a relatable, resilient, imperfect, and terrifying Native woman when wronged. From her social media montage to her comical interactions with Potato and Bandit, Horn builds an onscreen presence that is effortlessly engaging and wickedly fun.
The supporting cast only adds to SEEDS‘ charm, particularly Dallas Goldtooth as her cousin, Wiz, because we all have a cousin or Uncle Wiz. The real-life friendship between Kaniehtiio and Dallas shines through in the interactions between Ziggy and Wiz, which brings a “certifiably organtic” authenticity to their bantering and teasing. Meegwun Fairbrother, who plays Bandit, was also perfect casting. I’m still laughing at how he portrayed the emotional whiplash between him and Ziggy as they worked out their issues. It was also good to see Graham Greene making a cameo as Ziggy’s ancestral spirit guide, warning her of the danger she was facing and even bringing his brand of humor to the show.
Despite the cast’s perfection and overall watching experience, there are a few hiccups in balancing the tone, with abrupt shifts between humor and violence, which I see more as a problem for Non-Natives who aren’t familiar with Native humor or storytelling. While I thoroughly enjoyed Ziggy’s revenge, I can see how her quips might interrupt the intensity for Non-Natives, unfamiliar with the way that Natives are just naturally funny and sarcastic in the most inappropriate times, like when we’re “de-barking” cat-killing bastards. Additionally, some plot decisions, like an out-of-sequence social media post at the beginning of the movie that was never re-visited, could have been better because it teased consequences for Nature’s Oath and didn’t deliver. While Ziggy’s final revenge and closing scenes were epic, they fell short of a satisfying ending because there was no resolution to Nature Oath’s overall agenda or relationship with Ziggy.
That being said, SEEDS shines as a refreshing horror comedy that boldly tackles the shady relationships between social media influencers, corporate exploitation, colonial oppression, and capitalism. Although unbalanced at times, SEEDS marks a promising directorial debut for Horn, anchored by her captivating performance and a unique blend of humor, horror, and revenge that leaves you anticipating what she has up her sleeves for the future.
Johnnie Jae is a rabble-rousing Otoe-Missouria & Choctaw artist, journalist, podcaster, and advocate. She is the Founder of A Tribe Called Geek and Grim Native.