Confessions in Static

A feature dark comedy mystery thriller written and directed by Bob Freville and starring Mackenzie Keyes, Scott Dowd, Jimmy Donohue and Matt Tanzosh.

Filmed as a found footage film utilising a Canon mini-DV camcorder and an iPhone 13 Pro, the plot concentrates on the aftermath of a terrible incident and four youngsters, Lisa (Keyes), Jason (Dowd), Danny (Donohue) and Alan (Tanzosh) are interrogated individually regarding the crime, which involves three online influencers who go to a house that was once the scene of a gruesome murder. What happened? The interrogators (apparently the police, they are actually off-screen throughout) try to figure out what happened and the four friends will tell their version of events.

The concept is interesting: a bunch of people being interrogated in relation to a crime for which they might be the perpetrators. The screenplay is constructed in a way that prioritises character development over a plot. The vast majority of the film involves the four friends being interviewed alone in separate rooms, being asked about the crime and about themselves and responding with naivety and sarcasm. All this alternates with scenes in the past leading to the fateful event, with the four of them socalising and driving around and scenes involving the three online celebrities (played by Katelynn Kennedy Staggs, Brian Smith-Brecht and Nic Andrews) as they arrive at the ominous property to film for their show.

There are funny parts and the characters are intriguing, however, for one thing, the pace is slow and the fact that the camera is often still during long takes and music is almost entirely absent makes the viewing...well, not very exciting. The film relies heavily on the dialogue in order to be appealing, which often references films and real crimes and includers a fair amount of dark humour. Regardless, this does not seem to be enough to support the entirety of the one-and-a-half hour duration and as a result, the viewing feels overlong.

This feature gains from good performances. One who stands out is Jason, a hot-tempered guy, played energetically by Dowd and Tanzosh also holds his own as Alan, an apprehensive dude wearing a neck brace. And Staggs should be acknowledged for her portrayal of a charismatic online personality.

The script often looks into true crime and murder and it serves as a commentary about people's fascination with true crime. Additionally, self-reflection and friendship play significant roles, as do naivety and sarcasm.

This feature is currently streaming on Relay and is available on VHS from Janice.click. The dialogue is probably the strongest aspect, however, taking under consideration that there is hardly a plot, this film might struggle to find an audience.