Conformity is Mandatory in Nadia Lee Cohen's A Guide to Indulgence

Nowness' latest short film appears to be a Stepford Wives programming video. Retro stylized socialites climb the social ladder in rubber masks--reminiscent of Leatherface's drag phase in that beautifully horrible '90s Texas Chainsaw Massacre sequel starring Renee Zellweger and Matthew McConaughey.

British filmmaker Nadia Lee Cohen serves a satirical perspective on the standards of femininity with a how-to guide for achieving beauty. The disturbing film manages to frame the concept as a one-size-fits-all process in which conformity is mandatory. It's also perfectly accompanied by a track from French rockers, La Femme.

Cohen told Nowness about her inspiration behind the short:

"The constant pressure of striving for perfection is so familiar in the world we inhabit. In response to homogeneous ideals of beauty, I wanted to create a satirical world in which the female inhabitants have pushed their appearances into cartoonish, melodramatic and extreme representations of femininity; yet are still looking to improve themselves even further. This is an entirely personal film, which hopefully subtly exposes the cracks beneath the surface; depicted through music, darting eyes beneath masks and subtle wordplay, these features endeavor to puncture an environment that, unless scrutinized, appears entirely perfect."

Watch Nadia Lee Cohen's A Guide to Indulgence below: