Category: Reviews

Prepare for pain. Before you begin to watch writer-director Bloom’s A Light Once There, prepare yourself, because if you are lucky, you will get away with simply being heartbroken. The more gruesome effect of watching the film might be to have past trauma triggered. And not only because this is a story of a mass… Continue reading A Light Once There: Masterful Portrayal Of Tragedy And Grief

Paranoid is only four minutes long, and shot in the documentary style (which The Blair Witch Project made so popular). Elvira Fox’s humble horror film does not have flashy camerawork to flaunt, but with precisely timed scares, creates a thoroughly unsettling experience. The premise of this little horror mockumentary is thus: Roger (Oleg Krassin), an… Continue reading Paranoid: Humble Horror Flick With Smooth Buildup

Joseph Bird’s Where To Build In Stone (WTBIS) is a thoroughly sensory experience. Set in Kingston upon Hull, the 23-minute film captures the town in all its quaint, slow, dying, rising charm. It would be a mistake to expect convention from WTBIS; it does not follow traditional plotlines, focusing instead on the town as a… Continue reading Where To Build In Stone: An Homage To A Town

Directed by Niki Wipf, Alone On Christmas is a story of two roommates, one of whom is adamant to turn the other’s merry Christmas into a not-so-merry one. Hilariously delivered through tongue-in-cheek humour and witty repartees, the film at 16:18 minutes is fun and an engaging entertainer. Wipf plays Blake, recently dumped and still in… Continue reading Alone On Christmas: Hilarious Take On An Otherwise Lonely Season

Writer-Director Nina Juliano’s Little Sicily is what you can expect to happen in any Italian household – lots of passionate arguing, intense drama and deep bonds of familial love. That she has succeeded to translate it to on-screen squarely falls on two things, the brilliant costume and set design is another matter. Set in the… Continue reading Little Sicily: A Slice Of An Italian Family Drama

Sleep paralysis, if one were to Google it, is a temporary inability to move or speak when trying to sleep or when asleep or upon waking up. The protagonist of Jeff Kapp’s Still suffers from sleep paralysis which is shown to be the primary antagonist in a desperate attempt. But the real villain of this… Continue reading Still: Playing Up The Horror Of Sleep Paralysis

Director/Writer Magalie De Genova’s Endgame, developed from R.D. OvenFriend’s story is of parental sermons that turns eerily vindictive. For an 11:38 minutes long film, it manages to not only punch in the right amount of drama but also holds true to its signature horror without going overboard. A story within a story, that’s Endgame for… Continue reading Endgame: An Admonitory Tale On Why Listening To Your Parents Is Important

Director Chris K. Daniels’s Adrian needs help. His self-styled conspiracy theory spells trouble, like all other conspiracy theories. In his head, he is under threat – from an evil trio simply known as the ‘The Dark Triad’. We don’t know their backstory or Adrian’s. But what’s unique about Squeeze Toy is its narration style. Opting… Continue reading Squeeze Toy: Graphic Telling Of Someone’s Crumbling World

Sina Sultani’s Refuge is fast-moving and immediate. At only 4 minutes long, it is made in one continuous shot, following a couple on the run during the Russian invasion of Afghanistan that ultimately resulted in the deaths of nearly 1 million civilians.  The single-take gives it the feeling of immediacy and lyrical flow. The film… Continue reading Refuge: One-Shot Look At A Gruesome Invasion

Jim is on his best behaviour. A date night at a restaurant well recommended and in the company of a woman who is clearly impressed with him. What could possibly go wrong? Not much, one might think, except that our character manages to put not only his foot into his mouth but also make a… Continue reading Nice Guy: A Lesson For All Singletons Out There