Imagine, you have been away from home for a while. You come back to the place, knowing everything will be as it always was, waiting for you in welcome. But when the door finally swings open to show you the familiar hallway, an unfamiliar face stands in the way, keeping your safe space from you.… Continue reading The Stranger: Family Drama, With The Horror Of Impostors
Tag: Thriller
360 Seconds: Hallmarks Of Incredible Filmmaking In A Short On A Sassy Female Assassin
This one is a treat for all those Villanelle fans out there. Six minutes of pure thrill as writer-director Bex Bradshaw takes us into the mind of a seasoned vigilante, as she has a moment to herself between jobs. That is, kills. That the setting of this film is in the restroom of a punk… Continue reading 360 Seconds: Hallmarks Of Incredible Filmmaking In A Short On A Sassy Female Assassin
Zoo: Expertly Challenged Power Dynamics In A World Of Unequals
Will Niava’s (writer-director) Zoo feels personal. Like a page out of his diary, an excerpt of his biography, the short gnaws out a piece of his life. It is gripping, questioning and most of all, not keen on letting its viewer rest in comfort. A reflection of our contemporary times, this film, all of 11:37… Continue reading Zoo: Expertly Challenged Power Dynamics In A World Of Unequals
The Invitation (Die Einladung): The Horrors Of Fitting In
Thorsten Schade’s 24-minute Die Einladung, or The Invitation, follows a young, ambitious man as a business meeting brings him an invitation to dinner amongst an informally exclusive group. But this is a horror flick, so of course, there is more to it and not what said the man would like. Tom Renner (Orestes Fiedler) is… Continue reading The Invitation (Die Einladung): The Horrors Of Fitting In
Dweller: Sci-Fi Reflecting The New Normal, And A Few Warnings For The Future
Although Fraser Denholm’s Dweller was made in 2019, it comes with painful resonance after spending a year in isolation, quarantine, and lockdowns. The 35-minute sci-fi horror introduces us to a man who has spent 4000 days alone in a bunker while humanity was faced with the threat of extinction. This sounds only vaguely familiar. Just… Continue reading Dweller: Sci-Fi Reflecting The New Normal, And A Few Warnings For The Future
The Sleepless: Kami Sadraei’s Twist On Facing Your Issues
Quick question. How would you get the most out of your therapy? Whatever your answer may be, The Sleepless‘ protagonist would disagree. Jake, a man who has not slept well in years, uses his therapy session rather efficiently. Written and directed by Kami Sadraei, the seven-minute film revels in its moody black and white atmosphere… Continue reading The Sleepless: Kami Sadraei’s Twist On Facing Your Issues
The End Of The World: Novelty Makes For A Gripping Thriller
For a large chunk of its length, Joshua M.G. Thomas’s The End Of The World, written by Nabil Chowdhary, keeps its audience hooked on its sinister story, keeping them guessing as to its true form until well into the runtime. It sets up its narrative excellently. Foregoing introductions, we are plopped right into the centre… Continue reading The End Of The World: Novelty Makes For A Gripping Thriller
Bleeding Backs: Conflict Of Interest Explored Through An Action-Thriller
If ex-cops, bodyguards and endless action sequences are your thing, then writer-director Matthew C. Vella’s Bleeding Backs is right up your alley. 14:07 minutes of pure gritty action drama, the film centres around Owen (Franco Flammia) and his night of comeuppance and entrapment into something worse. Owen is a mix of PS David Budd from… Continue reading Bleeding Backs: Conflict Of Interest Explored Through An Action-Thriller
The Eyes On me: Confronting Stalkers
Zane Van Cleave’s stalker thriller The Eyes On Me has little meat to it: the film settles for only introducing its broad plot points and leaving it at that. It tries to pack in a lot within a limited runtime, ending up with scenes that belong in a longer story and that, here, feel utterly… Continue reading The Eyes On me: Confronting Stalkers
On Air: Masterful Telling Of A Man’s Buried Past
Secrets, mortifying tales, private moments – all of which you’d want securely buried. But, imagine them spilling out. And, now imagine them spilling out in the open, in public. Embarrassing, isn’t it? Dreadful, wouldn’t you agree? Bastiaan Rook’s On Air hits on all these bone-chilling notes to tell the scandalizing story of Brian. Who doesn’t… Continue reading On Air: Masterful Telling Of A Man’s Buried Past