In Bad Chemistry, a traumatized young woman goes to stay with her deceased boyfriend’s parents, only to discover chilling truths lurking beneath their kindness. This horror short explores grief, psychological torment, and the dark side of family.

Review by Parker Jesse Chase:

In this unnerving horror Bad Chemistry, directors Michael Rognlie and EE Tallent explore the
jagged edges that shape grief, a grasp of need for control, and manipulation through a
psychedelic lens. The film follows Sara, a young woman navigating the aftermath of trauma
following the brutal death of her boyfriend, Jonathon. Seeking solace—or perhaps just a place
to recover—she accepts an offer to stay with Jonathon’s seemingly kind parents. But as the
days unfold, it becomes clear that something sinister is brewing beneath the facade.

The story cleverly positions us inside Sara’s fragmented psyche. From the opening scene in the
car, we witness the dissolution of a relationship. The tension is palpable. The conversation is
defragmented and as the conversation concludes tells us this is the end. What begins as a
breakup quickly devolves into chaos as Sara watches Jonathon’s unexpected murder, this
violent act catapults her into survival mode. She manages to survive, but lands herself in the
hospital.

Jonathon’s parents offer to take her in with no hesitation. At first, it reads as kindness. But soon,
that concern morphs into something uncomfortably controlling. Sara is encouraged to eat and
drink. Her tea, we find out, is laced with LSD. What was once care becomes coercion. She
overhears tense arguments behind closed doors. We learn she was meant to be saved. She
was meant to be scared. It was all a plan: a manipulative, twisted, and deeply calculated one.
In a terrifying revelation, we understand that Jonathon’s death wasn’t just a freak accident, it
was the family’s mistake. A misstep in a larger plan to bind Sara to their lives permanently. This
psychological horror quickly descends into a kaleidoscopic nightmare. As Sara’s hallucinations
distort reality, she’s forced into a trippy illusioned showdown with a grieving mother who refuses
to let go.

In a scene that escalates the tension to slasher-film heights, Sara finds herself cornered. The
violence intensifies. Twists come fast. Jonathon’s mother questions Sara’s loyalty, especially her
relationship with another man, Tommy, the gentleman the audience is introduced to in the
beginning. We begin to wonder of an alternate reality when what follows is a blood-soaked
climax. A moment of fear leads to a shocking, accidental kill as Sara slashes Tommy’s throat.
It’s a devastating blow that adds another layer of trauma to an already harrowing experience.
The standout visual is the red phone cord, symbolic and suffocating, wrapped like a noose
around Sara’s final moments in captivity. Her face, soaked in blood, is the last haunting image
we’re left with. Rognlie and Tallent deliver a psychedelic, pulse-pounding horror short that keeps
you tripping until the end. It’s a story of survival, of the terrifying lengths people will go to
possess someone, and the high cost of trying to leave something toxic behind. Sara wanted out
of the relationship. What she got was a bloodbath.

Project Links

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