Bella Ramsey Breaks Hearts Once Again in Short Film ‘Requiem’

Written by Avery Allen

March 21, 2023

Spoiler Alert

Bella Ramsey, commonly known for their character Ellie in HBO’s The Last of Us, has showcased their remarkable talent once again with a role in the short film Requiem. Directed by Em Gilbertson and Laura Jayne Tunbridge, the 24-minute horror short was originally released in 2021 but was recently uploaded on YouTube, granting access to wider audiences.

The short film follows Evelyn, played by Ramsey, a meek girl living during England’s 1605 witch trials. From the start, it’s clear that Evelyn disapproves of the trials, and she even attempts to convince her father, Minister Gilbert, not to follow through with one. Yet, he quickly shuts her down and strictly insists that she must trust God’s will. This interaction is crucial to the audience’s perception of Minister Gilbert, showing that his beliefs and ideals are typical of the time period: conservatively religious. 

Meanwhile, Evelyn develops feelings for the milk-maid, Mary, played by Safia Oakley-Green. On one hand, she is head-over-heels for Mary, but on the other, she is apprehensive, scared of being reprimanded, or even worse—burned at the stake. She attempts to evade punishment by spending time with Mary in secret, but their love for each other is often hard to contain. Longing glances and the average pinky-touches may seem subtle for two characters deeply in love, but they are painfully accurate depictions of forbidden desire. The most heartbreaking interaction between the two is when Mary places a wedding ring, made from grass, on Evelyn’s finger. They will never be able to marry, to love each other openly, but for a short while they’d like to pretend that they live in a time when they could

Photo courtesy of YouTube

Against Evelyn’s wishes, Minister Gilbert is arranging for her to marry a young man from a well-respected family. On the night of their marriage, Evelyn is ridden with shame, eventually fleeing the bedroom, an action that is viewed as incredibly disgraceful.  She then retreats to Mary’s barn, where they spend the rest of the night together. For the first time, Evelyn allows herself to express her feelings for Mary. Yet, there is a quick shift the next morning. Evelyn gets out of bed and says that she must return to her husband, insisting that she and Mary must end their relationship. Of course, she doesn’t want to say this; she can’t even bear to make eye contact when she does. Nevertheless, she feels like there is no alternative.

On the walk back to her home, Evelyn sees her father arguing with her husband’s father. She attempts to hide behind a tree, but when Mary comes running up behind her yelling “Evelyn!”, she is caught. Her father-in-law rushes up to her and begins shouting, “She hath make a cuckold of my son.” Minister Gilbert protests that Evelyn and Mary are just friends. At this moment, I didn’t expect such an acquiescent and fearful character to stand her ground. Despite my assumptions, Evelyn grabs Mary’s hand and firmly states “I do love her.” While this act requires great courage, Evelyn’s strong front is a guise. Really, she’s terrified but her love triumphs over her fear. Filled with rage, her father strikes her across the cheek and drags Mary away. 

A montage of Mary appears on the screen, but then quickly switches to the scene of her trial. Evelyn’s father has her in a chokehold, forcing her to watch the town light a fire under the girl she loves. Evelyn’s eyes fill with terror, but her screams are muffled by the scene’s haunting background music. Escaping the clutch of her father, she stumbles away while gasping for air, falling to the ground after a few steps. Ramsey’s conveyance of distress was horrifying, leaving a pit in my stomach. Their ability to make this scene so impactful and unsettling validates their rising stardom, while also imbuing the film with the terror fit for its genre.

Evelyn is next pictured standing above a corpse wrapped in cloth, presumably Mary’s. She pulls out the makeshift wedding ring from earlier in the film, glancing at it for a quick moment as her lips tremble, almost beginning to form a smile. She places the ring on Mary’s body and takes a step back. Looking as if she’s holding her breath, she brings her candle flame to the wrappings, setting Mary ablaze. She can’t bear to do this, but she’s being forced and has no way out. The only other option placed before her is to refuse and suffer the same cataclysmic death as Mary. Evelyn’s hesitancy is so excruciating to watch that it brought tears to my eyes.

Photo courtesy of YouTube

The last scene of the film shows four women standing alongside Evelyn as they watch Mary’s barn burn to the ground. For the first time in the whole film, Evelyn pulls down her bonnet and reveals her hair completely undone. At the beginning of the film, her hair was always covered with a bonnet. The first time we see her without one is after she spends the night with Mary, and even then it’s still braided. To have her hair entirely free is symbolic of her defiance. She may not be able to save Mary or even save herself, but the small gesture of revealing her hair shows that she isn’t willing to give up yet. She will always love Mary, and nothing nor anyone can take that away from her. 

From the moment I pressed play, I hoped for a happy ending, a feel-good story of young queer relationships. In spite of that, a part of me expected that wish was doomed from the start. Evelyn and Mary’s story is meant to be gut-wrenching. It’s supposed to accurately portray the treatment of queer people during an uber-religious time period. It’s heartbreaking and tragic but at the same time, disturbingly true. Ramsey’s embodiment of Evelyn’s character has stuck with me and will continue to do so. I can only hope that the film secures more recognition, and I urge you to watch it if you haven’t already.