• Home
  • About Us
  • Submit Article
  • Write for Us
  • Contact Us
Indie Shorts Mag
  • Home
  • Premieres
  • Interviews
  • Marketing
  • News
    • Film Festival News
    • Short Film News
  • Reviews
    • Short Film
    • Documentary
    • Web Series
  • Tutorials
    • Pre-Production
    • Post-Production
  • Submit Short Film
No Result
View All Result
Indie Shorts Mag
  • Home
  • Premieres
  • Interviews
  • Marketing
  • News
    • Film Festival News
    • Short Film News
  • Reviews
    • Short Film
    • Documentary
    • Web Series
  • Tutorials
    • Pre-Production
    • Post-Production
  • Submit Short Film
No Result
View All Result
Indie Shorts Mag
No Result
View All Result

Occurrence at Mills Creek: A Confusing Horror That Holds A Lot Of Promise

Indie Shorts Mag Team by Indie Shorts Mag Team
09 Aug 2019
in Reviews
0
Occurrence at Mills Creek - Short Film Review - indie Shorts Mag

Occurrence at Mills Creek by award-winning director Don Swanson is a very creepy, atmospheric and engaging film (although at times it’s really hard as a viewer to follow where the story is going) exploring the deaths of one girl’s family. The premise is exciting enough to invest in the 20 minutes of its runtime. 

Ava Psoras and Alexa Mechling’s performances are generally unconvincing, whether it is on the occasion of death or a spat. Psoras as Clara feels a little flat, while Mechling as her sister Cassandra does a passable job. The supporting cast is decent and they look like experienced actors. Overall, the performances come off as dry and appear unmotivated, as though uncomfortable in the skins of their roles. Which brings us to the story and the script. 

Occurrence at Mills Creek - Short Film Review - indie Shorts Mag

The story does not make a whole lot of sense and is narrated in a non-linear form. The jumps from the past to the future are confusing; backstories are poorly developed and depicted. This is hardly improved by the lack of visual contrast, while editing does attempt to help things.

Writer-director Don Swanson does a passable job of creating an atmosphere of tension and creepiness. There is just enough suspense in the film to keep the viewer engaged, although it does not pay off satisfactorily. Cinematography is rather bland and issues with lighting and shadows distract from the viewing experience.  

Occurrence at Mills Creek - Short Film Review - indie Shorts Mag

The musical score for this film, however, is brilliantly produced by the talented Mark D’Errico and Carly Mandell. The music is perfectly creepy and draws you deeper into the story. 

At its close, not a lot is explained. The audience is thoroughly baffled, though more than a little intrigued. As far as we know, this is a twenty-minute preview for a full-length feature film that will be released in 2020. As such, the short works really well as an extended look into the upcoming feature film and certainly shows a lot of promise for the upcoming film. However, as a standalone short, it falls short on the basis of its very confusing storyline and subpar acting. 

Occurrence at Mills Creek: A Confusing Horror That Holds A Lot Of Promise
2.9 / 5 Stars
Direction
Cinematography
Screenplay
Editing
Music

Watch Occurrence at Mills Creek Short Film Trailer

Tags: ReviewShort Film Reviews
Previous Post

‘Turned Tiny’ Is A Documentary On The Business Of Tiny Homes

Next Post

Gun Metal Max: The Hero From Another Dimension

Indie Shorts Mag Team

Indie Shorts Mag Team

Related Posts

Fish Out of Water - Short Film Review - Indie Shorts Mag
Reviews

Fish Out Of Water: Mellow Look Into A Child’s Inner World

20th January 2021
2125 - Short Film Review - Indie Shorts Mag
Reviews

2125: A Quarantine Much Worse

19th January 2021
Next Post
Gun Metal Max - Short Film Review - Indie Shorts Mag

Gun Metal Max: The Hero From Another Dimension

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

From Editor’s Desk

Editor’s Picks: 2020’s Flashback In One Go!

Editor’s Picks: 2020’s Flashback In One Go!

Sponsored

  • Recent Reviews
Facebook Twitter Instagram

About Indie Shorts Mag

Indie Shorts Mag is a publishing agency that works within the ‘short film circuit’. We review short films, documentaries, music videos and web series, amongst others. We stand out amongst the short film review sites for being multi-diverse & global in our platform and reach.
Our team works tirelessly to help promote, publicize and market your short films that deserve the shout-out! Besides reviews, we host film festival news as it’s a known fact that the film festival buzz is unmissable and we ensure you aren’t left behind!
We aspire to form a niche for ourselves as the ‘short film magazine’ that remains the hub for filmmakers & their audience.

Popular Topics

  • Announcements
  • Articles
  • Crowdfunding
  • Editorial
  • Film Festival News
  • Film Festivals
  • India Edition
  • Interviews
  • Marketing
  • Marketing
  • News
  • Online Premiere
  • Post-Production
  • Pre-Production
  • Reviews
  • Short Film
  • Short Film Competition
  • Short Film News
  • Tutorials
  • Web Series

Indie Shorts Mag on Instagram

Follow Us On Instagram

  • #ShortFilmReview: Fish Out Of Water: There
  • #ShortFilmReview: Nene: Her life was summed up in one canvas. Read our review. Link in bio.⠀
⠀
⠀
@kinglouiefilms⠀
⠀
#ShortFilm #Review #IndieFilmReview #FilmReview #SupportIndieFilm
  • #ShortFilmReview: La Jaula: Can you get yourself out of the network? Read our review and watch the short film. Link in bio.⠀
⠀
⠀
@umbra_directors⠀
⠀
#ShortFilm #Review #IndieFilmReview #FilmReview #SupportIndieFilm
  • #ShortFilmReview: Anna: The promise to a better life passes through hell. Read our review. Link in bio.⠀
⠀
⠀
@annafilm19⠀
⠀
#ShortFilm #Review #IndieFilmReview #FilmReview #SupportIndieFilm
  • #ShortFilmReview: The Invitation (Die Einladung): Dinner could change everything. Read our review. Link in bio.⠀
⠀
⠀
@thorsten7319⠀
⠀
#ShortFilm #Review #IndieFilmReview #FilmReview #SupportIndieFilm
  • #ShortFilmReview: Yearbook: All of mankind
  • #ShortFilmReview: Comfort Zone: Free your voice. Join the movement. Read our review and watch the short film. Link in bio.⠀
⠀
⠀
@jordanblady⠀
⠀
#DocumentaryFilm #Review #IndieFilmReview #FilmReview #SupportindieFilm
  • #ShortFilmReview: Dreamers: The system might be rigged, but you aren
  • #ShortFilmReview: The Killing of Time: Hubris cannot escape downfall. Read our review and watch the short film. Link in bio.⠀
⠀
⠀
@neil.murphym⠀
⠀
#ShortFilm #Review #IndieFilmReview #FilmReview #SupportIndieFilm

© 2015-2021 Indie Shorts Mag

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Premieres
  • Interviews
  • Marketing
  • News
    • Film Festival News
    • Short Film News
  • Reviews
    • Short Film
    • Documentary
    • Web Series
  • Tutorials
    • Pre-Production
    • Post-Production
  • Submit Short Film

© 2015-2021 Indie Shorts Mag