Badger!

Badger! is simply fantastic. It feels like the kind of movie which aims to be, from beat to beat, as consistently entertaining as possible. This thoroughly amusing horror romp is about (you guessed it) badgers! - namely, their ruthless quest for bloody revenge. There is no pretension, no dead air, and not a wasted moment in the 15-minute film. It's a tightly structured genre exercise, reminiscent of Sam Raimi's best work -- humorously vulgar; stylistically and tonally dynamic. As a horror / comedy hybrid, it opts to take a sardonic tone in terms of the screenplay and line delivery. This creative decision could, in lesser hands, become annoying; but it's not annoying, it's very funny. Not only does it encourage the actors to deliver a most unusual and challenging style of performance (one that requires a genuine understanding of aesthetics), but it's also overshadowed by the sharp pacing and impressive cinematic methods being put into practice. Meaning that even if the viewer doesn't gel with the film's sense of humour, there's still so much to admire.

One of these methods is the use of POV shots from the badger's perspective. Very much evoking that Evil Dead feel, it feels like a pastiche of classic 80s horror, and yet it's also successful at building tension - all because it perfectly captures that relatively simple visual trait. These shots aptly use a wide angle lens, steadycam of some kind, and vignetting around the edges of frame. It's just clever movie making. Intentional or otherwise, another Evil Dead (or Three Stooges) reference comes when blood is splattered on a light bulb. Outside of the technical, the use of gore accomplishes that perfect balance of half shock, half hilarity. For instance, the concept of an animal chasing after you - scary; the fact that the animal is a dog wearing a badger costume - funny. It's incredible low-budget filmmaking; it turns its limitations into personality and orchestrates a unique atmosphere.

It's important to recognise the performers in a film like this for knowing exactly what kind of movie they're in (which is not always such an easy task for an actor, especially when there's a mix of genres at play). Everyone in Badger! are a delight to watch. This is because they're willing to be big, theatrical and indulge in the absurdism of the scenario. Jokes are delivered in an admirably serious yet ridiculous manner. But most significant to the comedy's success is that Badger! never feels like it's making fun of horror movies or those who enjoy them - the reason being that it wholeheartedly indulges in some of its most enjoyable tropes and characteristics with great skill and flair.

As I've explained, this is just one of the most consistently entertaining short films in some time. I'd love to see more movies that aren't afraid to embrace this level of cheese, fun, and invention, since it's so much of what low-budget genre filmmaking should aspire to. I can't wait to see more from these artists. Dare I say, a sequel could even hold some interesting prospects... Either way, it's a strong piece from start to end.