Puberty sucks. Between forging new friendships, being stuck in between two stages of life and unexpected bodily changes, it is just all terrible. Swiss director Lisa Brühlmann fully understands this, and uses body horror as a metaphor for this period of life.

The main character of Brühlmann’s student film “Blue My Mind,” Mia (Luna Wedler), goes through the usual horrifying parts of this stage of life and more, as the lower half of her body slowly becomes mermaid-like.

Such a fantastical premise seems like it may lead to a more light-hearted, humorous film, but it turns out Disney Channel got there first. “Blue My Mind” steers into the grittier, less-pleasant implications of such a transformation. Mia simply wants to fit in, wants to get along with her parents and meet guys, but then she looks down and her legs are covered in dark bruises.

Each day, Mia’s transformation is further along and, frankly, more disgusting. The practical effects employed here surpass all expectations of a student film, and go a long way into immersing the audience in the world Brühlmann builds. It is effectively believable, and grounds such a wild story.

Though it doesn’t break a whole lot of ground, “Blue My Mind” takes a relatable terrifying experience that all people have, and just makes it worse. It is uncomfortable, weird, and one of the best student films I’ve ever seen.

• “Blue My Mind”
• Rating: Not yet rated
• Runtime: 97 minutes
• Score: 3.5/5 stars