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

The Bef: Infant Horror, Child Tragedy

Indie Shorts Mag Team by Indie Shorts Mag Team
08 Dec 2020
in Reviews
1
The Bef - Short Film Review - Indie Shorts Mag

There is something particularly disturbing about Eric Burleson’s The Bef. Even as its gruesome subject matter has seen predecessors, its central character is a new, chilling addition to this tale of infant abduction. 

What Robert Eggers or Darren Aronofsky did not use, Burleson uses to his advantage. His child protagonist, Sammy (Jacob Shapiro) fits the narrative like a natural. Vulnerable, impressionable and effectively alone, he makes for the perfect candidate that the story needs. It may be easy to guess the plot by now: infants are abducted, we witness horrifying events, and a story is uncovered from two opposing perspectives. Now, where does Sammy fit in this? Barely over 11, he acts as the facilitator. His motives are implied, and their complex (they are just as frightening as they are understandable) nature enriches the plot. Tinged with sorrow, the film doubles as something of a tragedy. 

The Bef - Short Film Review - Indie Shorts Mag

Burleson sustains tension in his film with deftness. When the film opens on Sammy and his huge scars, the audience is left to draw up a possible backstory, while simultaneously pulled along on his journey with a baby in tow. The camera follows him closely as he moves without leaving an imprint of his presence, appearing to have either been taught silence, or learned from the demands of experience. 

ConversionAILeaderboard - Indie Shorts Mag ConversionAILeaderboard - Indie Shorts Mag ConversionAI - Indie Shorts Mag

Production design is arguably the film’s strong suit. The abandoned, decrepit pool house setting of the climax is sinister and rather beautiful, dripping with detail. The climax may feel somewhat predictable, taking with it some of the initial tense excitement of the narrative, but the atmosphere it builds may just be considered worth it. 

The Bef - Short Film Review - Indie Shorts Mag

Coming away from this 9-minute film, the feeling is that of sadness, more than fear or horror. The mix of a vulnerable child and monstrosities beyond his control that he must partake in evokes just that. 

#ShortFilmReview: The Bef: The lines are blurred between victim and perpetrator. Click To Tweet

Watch The Bef Short Film

The Bef: Infant Horror, Child Tragedy
  • Direction
  • Cinematography
  • Screenplay
  • Editing
  • Music
3.9
Tags: ReviewShort Film Reviews

Get real time update about this post categories directly on your device, subscribe now.

Unsubscribe
Previous Post

Wine Night: Greek Mythology, Wine And A Whole Barrel Of Laughs

Next Post

Finding Filman: A Comedy Riding On The Strength Of Its Script

Indie Shorts Mag Team

Indie Shorts Mag Team

Related Posts

Geronimo - Circus Trash Monster - Documentary Review - Indie Shorts Mag
Reviews

Geronimo: Circus Trash Monster: On The Joys Of Bringing Together A Community

18th April 2021
I AM - Documentary Review - Indie Shorts Mag
Reviews

I AM: Strong Tribute To Pioneering Queer Artists

11th April 2021
Next Post
Finding Filman - Short Film Review - Indie Shorts Mag

Finding Filman: A Comedy Riding On The Strength Of Its Script

Comments 1

  1. Jeffrey S Hilferty says:
    4 months ago

    Perfectly described. Loved the way the storyline played out. Creepy AF

    Reply

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

© 2015-2021 Indie Shorts Mag

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Premieres
  • Interviews
  • News
    • Film Festival News
    • Short Film News
  • Reviews
    • Short Film
    • Documentary
    • Web Series
  • Hall of Fame
  • Tutorials
    • Pre-Production
    • Post-Production
  • Live TV
  • Submit Short Film

© 2015-2021 Indie Shorts Mag