In essence, Amanda Nell Eu’s directorial debut is more or less a spinoff of Mean Girls, with doses of the growing reality of adolescence and changes in the core friend group. But there is something quite fantasizing about it, something in disguise, synonymous with a parable about our individuality and independence and whether to stay hidden and guarded or reveal our true power and form. And while one can easily nitpick about the impaired aspect of horror in the play (which is exceptionally prevalent), there is heart in this feature’s presentation.

12-year-old Zaffan (Zafreen Zairizal) is considered the leader of a group of girls at a religious primary school. She is the zaniest of the group, spurring jealousy and resentment from Farrah (Deena Ezral), who is a prefect in the school system. The girls are joined by Miriam (Piqa), and they remain relatively catty and juvenile with one another. However, Zaffan has her first menstrual cycle, forcing her to become an outcast of sorts in the school as they come to despise her odor and presentation. The continued physical transformation of her skin causes her to become an unhinged demon, unleashing hysteria and fear in the school. Thus, Dr. Rahim (Shaheizy Sam) is hired to perform a snake oil exorcist on her.

Once again, it’s a tight ninety-five-minute feature that keeps itself well-maintained thanks to the three girls’ worthwhile performances and chemistry. The coming-of-age tale is a worn-out technique utilized in a myriad of other narratives, but at least it’s kept condensed and confined within the school setting to allow the co-existence of the nearby forest and “nearby demons.” The tactic of utilizing Zaffan’s puberty is intelligent, allowing methodical destruction of the once-fun nature around her to vanish and for us as the audience to question this ostracized attitude we sometimes give to others.

Perhaps the ending sermon is rather cheesy, and the effects look like someone pulled out from one of those local Halloween stores, but there is an encapsulation of adolescence that everyone recognizes in Tiger Stripes.