Short Film Movie Review

Movie Review: A SMALL VOICE (2016)

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MOVIE POSTERA SMALL VOICE, 2min, UK, Animation/Drama
Directed by Michelle Brand

A shy young boy is confronted with the relentless demands of an overbearing adult forcing him to sing in front of a crowd. Vivid imagery conveys the child’s trauma as it helplessly stands facing the expectant onlookers, unable to sing through fear. Overwhelmed by the ordeal, the only alternative is to run away.

Seen at the August 2016 SCI-FI/FANTASY FEEDBACK Film Festival in Toronto.

Movie Review by Kierston Drier

Michelle Brand, director of UK Film A Small Voice, has a story to tell us. It is the story of a boy who experiences doubt, fear and anxiety. All universal feelings felt by us all, yet demonstrated through the eyes of one animated character retreating into a world of their own.

One of the points to touch on in this piece is the animation itself. The color scheme is very strategic. Our hero is drastically different in color from the clamoring background, occasionally represented as a white outline against a colorful backdrop. The piece can seem disorienting at times with its’ stylistic intensity. This intensity acts to establish meaning on a subtextual level as it demonstrates the disorienting experiences of mental illness.

A Small Voice is not a long film, but it is a powerful one. It conveys a very human experience through the lenses of colorful animation. It is a small voice, with much to say.

Watch the Audience FEEDBACK Video of the short film:

Movie Review: SPARROW DUET (2016)

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MOVIE POSTERSPARROW DUET, 4min, USA, Animation/Experimental
Directed by Steve Socki

Animated abstract shapes and gestures dance together playfully with bird-like motion. The original music score was composed and performed by Gary Chang .

Seen at the August 2016 SCI-FI/FANTASY FEEDBACK Film Festival in Toronto.

Movie Review by Kierston Drier

This disarmingly simple and yet stunningly beautiful avantgarde
film comes to us from the USA by director Steve Stock. It tells no clear story, has no clear characters, makes no clear message and yet its’ composition is so well put together, and it’s facets so richly tuned that it cannot help but engage and delight its’ viewers.

Set against a black void, whimsical bright geometric colors move, flow, and intertwine themselves in an unearthly dance to music. The concept seems very simple but is also incredibly hard to execute well.

Sparrow Duet however, creates something wonderful in its’ style, as its’ lack of form creates endless abilities for interpretation. Instead of the director pressing their story onto the viewer, the viewer projects their version of the story onto what they are experiencing. The result? A film of cinematic pleasure that can be exactly what you want it to be. Are these colors the personification of humans? Of emotions? Of animals? Of life itself?

The viewer gets’ to choose.

Watch the Audience FEEDBACK Video of the short film:

Movie Review: 5476 MILES (2016)

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MOVIE POSTER5476 Miles, 4min, UK, Animation/Music Video
Directed by Terry Thomas

A handmade paper stop motion music video that tells the story of a lonely starling waiting for love.

Seen at the August 2016 SCI-FI/FANTASY FEEDBACK Film Festival in Toronto.

Movie Review by Kierston Drier

This UK music video directed by Terry Thomas is a reflective, pensive and poetic tribute to both the visual and auditory art forms. Done completely by hand, this paper cutout stop-motion art style is hauntingly beautiful.

The piece is layered with strong symbolism, and rich with poetic and visual undertones. Visual motifs and colour palettes are harmonic with the music and lyrics. As with any form of art, it is open to interpretation: a debate exists as to what the intent of the piece is.

However, whether the music makes you wistful, sorrowful, remensianct or peaceful, it will certainly make you feel something. In this way, 5476 Miles is a beautiful work of art.

Watch the Audience FEEDBACK Video of the short film:

Movie Review: INSIDE (2016)

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MOVIE POSTERINSIDE, 3min., Belguim, Animation/Comedy
Directed by Pepijn Claus

A story about a worm, a beetle and a very hungry bird…

Seen at the August 2016 SCI-FI/FANTASY FEEDBACK Film Festival in Toronto.

Movie Review by Kierston Drier

Belgium director Pepijn Claus invites us into the world of insects with his delightful short Inside, which follows a terrified worm and an anger prone beetle as they run from, and our devoured by, a pesky bird. Humorous and charming with its’ classic schtick humor, the piece has a saturday morning cartoon feel, that is nostalgic for adults and enjoyable for kids.

The premise of the piece is simple and effective a classic tale of not giving up, in this case, even when you’ve been swallowed by a predator. Humor arises from our unlikely (and unlucky) duo who must join forces to escape certain demise.

Clear, fun ny, well executed Inside is a perfect family animation that will have you considering what life is like for the little critters of this world. It also teaches a valuable lesson about the early bird catching the worm.

Watch the Audience FEEDBACK Video of the short film:

Movie Review: AWESOME BEETLES COLORS

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MOVIE POSTERAWESOME BEETLE’S COLORS, 3min, Latvia, Animation/Musical
Directed by Indra Sproge

“Awesome Beetle’s Colors” is a 2:57 minutes long, fun and educative plasticine animation.

Seen at the August 2016 SCI-FI/FANTASY FEEDBACK Film Festival in Toronto.

Movie Review by Kierston Drier

Hailing from Latvia, and directed by Indra Sproge, Awesome Beetles Colors has a musical, colorful, educational tone. Highly reminiscent of the famous Sesame Street in its whimsy, this short film brings the alphabet to life with bright, highly stylized interactive words.

The brightness of the piece is dazzling to the senses and brimming with the type of creative imagination that appeals to viewers of all ages. It is instantly enjoyable by younger members of an average audience although it may leave adult viewers scratching their heads.

At first glance, it is not clear that the musical film is about the alphabet; until the end, when all the musical words are strung together with their corresponding letters.

Magically, the discovery that the wild colorful animated adventure is really teaching us our ABC’s is no less enjoyable, whether we are 8 months old, or 80.

Watch the Audience FEEDBACK Video of the short film:

Movie Review: FOOTPRINTS (2016)

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MOVIE POSTERFOOTPRINTS, 13min, Canada, Horror/Family
Directed by Kevin Saycharuen

Deep in the forest, Cahng, an injured hunter searches for his family who are being haunted by a supernatural force.

Seen at the August 2016 HORROR/THRILLER FEEDBACK Film Festival in Toronto.

Movie Review by Kierston Drier

Footprints, a Canadian film by Kevin Saycharuen, will surprise an audience at first with its’ exceptional attention to cinematic details and a level of luminous colour and brightness that is not characteristic of a traditional Horror. Cahng, an injured hunter lost in the forest, seems compelled to track down the monstrous beast that has ruthlessly murdered his wife and child. He is tortured by their absence, plagued by visions and nightmares of them, and appears to be constantly falling in and out of delusions including them.

One tradition that is held onto with stunning effectiveness is that the audience never sees the monster. It can be heard, and often palpably felt- but we are only once ever shown anything remotely supernatural, in the form of a sort of demon ghost who briefly appears in lieu of Cahng’s missing son.

There are cinematic moments in this piece that are no less than stunning. There are breath-taking moments of utter natural beauty that capture of the setting of the forest that truly make us feel that monster in this film lurks somewhere within the disconnect humans have put between themselves and nature. However the demon that is responsible for Cahng’s tragedy is not within the forest- it is within himself.

Footprints is not a clear film. It is debatable if the plot is linear. The pay-off, while impressive, does not answer all the questions the audience is bound to have by the end of the film. Yet, Saycharuen’s work has a poignancy to it that stirs deep, primal emotions in those who watch. It is a true piece of cinema, a true piece of art, in the sense that is leave us with more questions than answers.

Watch the Audience FEEDBACK Video of the short film:

Movie Review: DRAWN TO FEAR (2016)

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MOVIE POSTERDRAWN TO FEAR, 7min, USA, Horror
Directed by Daniel Robinette

A single woman named Hope has procured a rare book under strange circumstances. Little does she know that the book has a life of it’s own – drawing out the fears of those who possess it. Hope struggles to figure out the meaning of the book before it’s too late.

Seen at the August 2016 HORROR/THRILLER FEEDBACK Film Festival in Toronto.

Movie Review by Kierston Drier

Drawn to Fear directed by Daniel Robinette, must be applauded at its excellent execution of story in the confines of the horror genre. Without being overtly cliche it manages to hit every cultural touchstone of the genre while still creating a story that is compelling, functional and utterly terrifying.

A young woman finds herself alone in her home and comes upon a mysterious book, whose terrifying pages predict her next few moments. Our hero, in a stroke of brilliance unbecoming of most young women trapped in horror films, calls the police only to have her phone call get dropped (no shocker).

A harsher critic of this film may point out that the plot could be considered aimless- we know nothing of what the book is, how it got there or why it has picked this unfortunate woman.

She appears to be, almost systematically, haunted by creatures, visions, and horrors of ever-escalating terror as the film progresses- with no real goal as to what they want from her.

This can easily be seen as a plot fault, as the audience is unsatisfied, since they do not know what the hero has done to instigate this supernatural attack.

However, this reviewer prefers to see Robinettes’ piece as a short that pays homage to the classic conventions of the genre. The piece creates a short, powerful, nail biting account of a standard the-bad-guys-are-coming-for-you tale. It also works in more than a few nods to the tropes and archetypes of horror and suspense. The Ingenue, the empty house, the unknown force, the hopelessness of unfounded escape- are the conventions that root horror films. It is the meat and potatoes, the traditional comfort food of what is “scary”. In this way, Drawn to Fear is a perfect appetizer of what supernatural horror brings to the cinematic table.

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Movie Review: KADDISH! (2016)

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MOVIE POSTERKADDISH!, 6min, France, Horror/Comedy
Directed by Emeline Castaneda

When, on his way back home, a man stops at a motorway service area, he did not imagine that by talking to his urinal’s neighbor, it will trigger some terrible events.

Seen at the August 2016 HORROR/THRILLER FEEDBACK Film Festival in Toronto.

Movie Review by Kierston Drier

Kaddish! directed by Emeline Castaneda, is an absolute delight. Engaging, immediately suspenseful and unflatteringly hilarious, it is an example of the element of surprise doing everything a horror-comedy film should do.

It must be noted that horror-comedy as a genre is one of the hardest sub genres to execute without latching on the comfort of cinematic cliches, and yet Kaddish! does this flawlessly. With undeniably originality, Castaneda is able to weave tradition, religion, ethnicity, suspense, humour, music and zombies (yes, zombies.) into six minutes of your life well spent.

Kaddish! follows our devoutly Jewish and incredibly compassionate hero as he makes the unfortunate discovery that the man at the urinal beside him is a Neo-Nazi, and decides to put his fate in Gods’ hands. And God responds with a standing ovation. This knowledge alone was enough to make me grab my popcorn and watch this film- please, do the same.

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Movie Review: PREFERENTIAL OPERATION (2016)

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MOVIE POSTERPREFERENTIAL OPERATION, 20min, Spain, Thriller/Drama
Directed by Roger Comella & Carles Velat

Four masked men kidnap the director of a bank branch in an unremarkable town. They put him in a van and ask him 90,000 euro from his own pocket.

Seen at the August 2016 HORROR/THRILLER FEEDBACK Film Festival in Toronto.

Movie Review by Kierston Drier

Directed by Roger Comella and Carles Velat, Preferential Operation is a complex cinematic piece on several levels. Part suspense thriller, part tragedy, part comedy, the film can be hard to place into a single genre- but it nevertheless entertains on all fronts.

Our story starts on a local bank operator, openly disliked in the community, who is kidnapped on his way to work and subsequently interrogated and tortured by four masked invaders. Audience sympathy at first aligns with our hero, who, may be arguably overacting, succeeds in conveying his terror at the situation. As the story unfolds however, it becomes clear these masked men are previous victims of our bankers purposeful financial wrong-doings.

This piece is powerfully shot and our four masked “villains” are exceptionally well casted.

The piece is undoubtedly compelling, its plot is alluring and, most heartbreakingly, it is inspired by true events. It can be argued perhaps, that the film’s middle act falls slightly flat and that the conjunction of slap-stick style comic elements mixed with the psychological thriller/horror genre creates a non cohesive dichotomy.

However, this reviewer would counter that Preferential Operation is painting a picture with an intentional contrasting palate in order to create a more vibrant final image. An intense film? Absolutely. And whether it speaks to your personal cinematic tastes or not, certainly worth a film-goers time.

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Movie Review: DON’T LET THEM IN (2016)

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MOVIE POSTERDON’T LET THEM IN, 13min, US, Horror/Thriller
Directed by David Lawrence

Dan Metzger, a struggling author, consumed with the urban legend of the Black Eyed Kids, fears his obsession has led their evil to his door.

Seen at the August 2016 HORROR/THRILLER FEEDBACK Film Festival in Toronto.

Movie Review by Kierston Drier

Don’t Let Them In is a classic supernatural horror that delivers exactly what it promises – thrills, chills and CGI skills- all bundled together in 10-15 minute pocket of entertainment.

After a somewhat confusing opening scene which sets the stage for creepiness, the story opens on a glamorous well-to-do couple in a loving, but possibly stale marriage.

Our hero is writer working on his next big break and, while showering upstairs in their home, his wife is befallen by terrifying evil of some hideous sort.

The film harkens back to a standard set of classic tropes for horror films- the unknown power, the unseen enemy, the danger in the knock at the door you aren’t expecting. Don’t Let Them In may not offer anything new and unheard of to the genre of horror, but it is nevertheless tense, thrilling and suitable scary.

Watch the Audience FEEDBACK Video of the short film: