Lacey Hardy

Project

Delusions of Electra is a satirical coming-of-age short film that dares to explore the nuanced and often tense relationship between an overachieving Black girl and her sharp-witted, single mother. At its core, the story explores identity, tradition, and autonomy within the framework of Black womanhood and cultural expectations. Ultimately, the story asks the question “How do our loved ones challenge who we become?”

Jasmine, a 17-year-old suburban Black girl, is on the brink of a major milestone—attending The Mecca, Howard University, following in the legacy of her mother, Diana. Their relationship is a constant push-and-pull: filled with love, and tenderheadness, yet fraught with unspoken expectations. As they prepare for Jasmine’s departure, their usual bickering masks a deeper struggle for understanding. This tension is heightened when Jasmine insists on inviting her new boyfriend, Paul, to their final dinner together, exposing fractures within their already heavy relationship.

Paul, a white aspiring rapper, swaggers into the dinner with awkward confidence, eager to prove himself to Diana. However, his lack of cultural awareness, particularly regarding Black Greek life, quickly puts him at odds with her. Diana’s protective instincts sharpen as she tests Paul, while Jasmine finds herself caught between her mother's rigid expectations and the allure of Paul's seemingly freer, more rebellious path. Who do you want to be?

The dinner reaches a boiling point when Diana and Paul bond over a sensual old-school mix made by Paul. Jasmine struggles to embody this confidence everyone seems to have and prove her knowledge of her culture and herself. Despite her efforts to conform, she is simply met with the gaze of inadequacy. But the situation takes an uncomfortable turn when Paul pushes Jasmine to move in a way that conforms to both his and Diana’s expectations of Blackness. As Jasmine awkwardly navigates their conflicting pressures, she experiences a moment of profound realization—she must take charge of her own identity. And that whether she likes it or not, the person she both fears and unconsciously mirrors is her mother.

The night ends with Jasmine, asserting her boundaries, and ultimately retreating into solitude from both her mother and Diana. However, in a rare act of tenderness, her mother decides to meet her where she is: In her bedroom. Through the simple yet powerful act of braiding Jasmine’s hair—a gesture that has long been a battleground between them—they find an unspoken reconciliation. In allowing Jasmine to take over and finish the braid herself, Diana quietly acknowledges her daughter’s autonomy, while Jasmine, in turn, accepts the parts of her mother that reside within her.

Through biting humor and deeply intimate moments, Delusions of Electra unpacks the complexities of Black mother-daughter relationships, the weight of cultural legacy, and the delicate balance between honoring tradition and forging one’s path.