★★★★
Directed by: Jeremy Stewart
Written by; Jeremy Stewart
Starring: Brittany Lynn Blanchard, Josh Wingate
People often spend a lot of time with their televisions. They use them to watch the news, watch films, relax or play videogames. These devices have become part of their lives and it would be hard to imagine the world without them.
This science fiction thriller follows Hannah (Blanchard), a young woman who possesses a very unique ability: she can hypnotize other individuals and make them do what she wants! There is a man (Wingate), who has the same power as Hannah and appears to be her master and mentor. He stays in a place where there are a bunch of static televisions, which have some sort of supernatural ability to communicate with him. It is Hannah's responsibility to bring a human there, so they can be brainwashed by the televisions and join them. However, she keeps failing, as every person she brings to him dies in the process!
The plot of the story is rather intriguing: two people being capable of hypnosis and their attempts to make others join them through the static of certain old televisions, that are constantly on static and give the impression that they, the televisions, are the ones in charge of the situation! This concept is truly interesting and amusing and does a great job in getting the viewer's attention!
The special effects deserve a lot of praise. When Hannah utilizes her hypnosis skills, her eyes (and the victim's) turn static, exactly like a TV screen! The effect looks really cool and scary!
The performances also add value. Blanchard is believable as she tries to serve her master's purpose and Wingate also does a great job and is menacing and serious in his role.
Alex Parrish provides a very interesting and amusing score that perfectly fits the tone of the film! And the stylized closing credits look outstanding!
As this film contains a plot that involves static televisions taking control of individuals, one could argue that this represents what televisions do in real life: they ''capture'' people, taking up their spare time, making them sit in front of them and observe them, like nothing else matters. As the title suggests, everything they learn comes from the television!
Stewart has created a piece of work that deserves recognition. The story is very appealing, the characters are engrossing and the music helps create great atmosphere!
Comments