Alex Bates’ Dare to Dream is a drama about a young chef’s destructive desire to prove himself worthy to his abusive father, also a chef. Incorporating a quasi-emotional realism approach to portray his downward spiral, the film is a 30-minute saga of negotiating legacy. Despite what the title might lead viewers to assume, Dare to… Continue reading Dare to Dream: A Self-Destructive Path In Pursuit Of Approval
Tag: Thriller
Shadows Of The Dust: Sci-Fi Horror Masked As A Thriller
Ali Matlock’s Shadows Of The Dust beguiles its viewer until the very last moment as to its direction, resulting in a thriller with a complex narrative and a satisfying ending. Especially helpful is the pacing, which leaves the viewer unsure of the direction it is going to take. The 14-minute film uses a non-linear narrative… Continue reading Shadows Of The Dust: Sci-Fi Horror Masked As A Thriller
A Mother’s Touch: Psychological Thriller With A Side Of Mystery
Leo Bekmarmarchev’s 8-minute short, A Mother’s Touch is a psychological thriller that takes a darker turn. Speaking to a person outside the scope of the frame, a man talks about the figure that has haunted him for days. The figure (Mika Bekmarmarchev), attired in the same clothes as the unnamed man (Leo Bekmarmarchev), is a… Continue reading A Mother’s Touch: Psychological Thriller With A Side Of Mystery
Hazel’s Eyes: Apocalypses And The Continuation Of Humanity
A film made in a mere 48 hours as part of a filmmaking challenge, Hazel’s Eyes is a surprisingly taut apocalypse thriller. Directed by Jesse McAnally, the film witnesses a couple’s struggle against time and death, and examines something of love in the process. Hazel (Hannah Hendrix) has been bitten by something, presumably a zombie.… Continue reading Hazel’s Eyes: Apocalypses And The Continuation Of Humanity
The Withered Ghoul’s Ceremony: The Horror Of The Unreal
Xavier Terhorst’s The Withered Ghoul’s Ceremony knows how to create an oppressive vacuum in which to trap not only its characters but also the viewers. The 30-minute film borrows elements of Surrealism to tell the tale of two characters stuck in a world without dimensions, existing as puppets in the titular Ghoul’s plans. The Withered… Continue reading The Withered Ghoul’s Ceremony: The Horror Of The Unreal
Squatter: The Reciprocated Grip Of Obsession
Aidan Guynes’ written and directed Squatter is a sensory experience that revels in the suspense of its story. Propped up by its cinematography and score, the film all but does away with dialogues, distilling it down to just its protagonist. Played by Yavor Vesselinov, the unnamed man, about as chatty as his dog, squats in… Continue reading Squatter: The Reciprocated Grip Of Obsession
Promises: The Place Between Loss And Vengeance
Written by and starring Cynthia Crofoot, Jim Morrison’s Promises is a 4-minute film, an experiment on the limits of zero-budget filmmaking. Shot on an iPhone—a staple of this curious genre—the film features only Crofoot as a woman dealing with the aftermath of a date gone awry. When the film opens, the unnamed woman’s monologue makes… Continue reading Promises: The Place Between Loss And Vengeance
Our Son: The Dangerous Proximity Of Predators To Grief And Vulnerability
At eight minutes long, Our Son, directed by Jeremy Max and co-written with Nittolo, packs in quite a bit of story. Dealing primarily with grief and domestic violence, the film is one of large scope, and which it blazes through. It opens on Caroline (Jen Furlong), in the thick of grief over losing her 10-year… Continue reading Our Son: The Dangerous Proximity Of Predators To Grief And Vulnerability
Garage: A Resonant Portrayal Of PTSD
The nature of trauma is vicious. It traps you in the past, in specific boxes of the past. You can look out of it, pretend you are not within it, but it invariably pulls you back down and inside again. Repeatedly. Places become haunted. Sounds become haunted. Even your name can become haunted. Aaron Sanders portrays this in the… Continue reading Garage: A Resonant Portrayal Of PTSD
Bound: The Unsettling Power Of People Who Only Look Harmless
On the surface, Claire lives a thoroughly domestic life. Pictures of her family line the shelves. She plays solitaire in an empty, albeit homey house. From the looks of it, she leads a content life. Sure, she snaps at her family when they call her, and she resolutely refuses to move out of the house… Continue reading Bound: The Unsettling Power Of People Who Only Look Harmless