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HOME | FILMS | REVIEWS Remembering Gene Wilder Film Review average rating is 4 out of 5 Critic: Hope Madden | Posted on: Apr 3, 2024 Directed by: Ron Frank Written by: Glenn Kirschbaum Starring: Gene Wilder, Mel Brooks, Carol Kane Maybe the smartest choice director Ron Frank made when putting together his affectionate documentary Remembering Gene Wilder was to pull audio from Wilder’s own autobiography. Sure, we hear from many who loved the comic actor—Mel Brooks, Carol Kane, Alan Alda among them. But everything they tell you about his authenticity, humility, humanity, and perfect comic timing you can hear for yourself as Wilder spills the beans on his life. You remember the hair, of course. And probably those eyes. But that voice proves, in case you have forgotten, that there was something deeply, bubblingly, undeniably delightful about Gene Wilder. And he could act. Frank, working with writer Glenn Kirschbaum, hand picks some of Wilder’s best scenes. Not necessarily the most iconic, but the most confounding, the scenes where he made a creative decision no one else would have considered, creating an indelible moment on screen. This is a film that loves Gene Wilder, and it makes a pretty good case for that. We hear about is childhood, about Willy Wonka, Young Frankenstein , Richard Pryor, Gilda. Each story showcases the gentle, charming creature that was Gene Wilder. Though Frank doesn’t break any new ground cinematically—talking head interviews flank home movies, film clips surround family photos—the mellow approach belies a deep emotional connection. Remembering Gene Wilder is not just a greatest hits. Although the film does not delve into any of the actor/director’s box office or critical missteps—nor does it devote a single moment to anything that would make Wilder out to be anything other than a treasure—it acknowledges low times. Even those just make you want to hug him. Not every film or character of Wilder’s has aged well, but his good nature and talent shine none the dimmer. Remembering Gene Wilder certainly does not unearth any ugliness, bares no startling truths. It’s clearly the product of a filmmaker who truly loves his subject. He doesn’t seem wrong, though. About the Film Critic Hope Madden Theatrical Release, Documentary < All Reviews Next Film Review >

Plant Life Listen to our review on the film podcast What our film review said: READ FULL REVIEW The main totem of this loss is a plant they got together, which he now wants her to care for. He speaks to the plant as though it will speak back, their communication clearly intended to replace that of his previous relationship. The breakdown of communication between him and his ex is partly supplemented by trying to act out the feelings he has towards her. “What are you looking at?” he asks it frustratedly, evidently taking out some misplaced anger. Contrasting this, he then plays guitar for it, expressing some romanticism and love. The acoustics are rich and warm, filling the empty space with something more lively. Proudly supporting MediCinema for our 2022 film festival.

HOME | FILMS | REVIEWS Neptune Frost Film Review average rating is 4 out of 5 Critic: Hope Madden | Posted on: Jul 27, 2022 Directed by: Anisia Uzeyman, Saul Williams Written by: Saul Williams Starring: Cheryl Isheja, Elvis Ngabo, Bertrand Ninteretse Drawn by common dreams, individuals from all around post-war Rwanda journey to a place, time and reality they can call their own in Anisia Uzeyman and Saul Williams’s Afrofuturistic musical, Neptune Frost . The nightmare of war in the recent past, the oppressive religion, and the reality of the economy take shape on the screen. What is Rwanda today? Williams and Uzeyman use something that feels like performance art to depict Africa’s place in technology’s journey to consumers. Tech’s raw materials—from the coltan (a raw material used in electronics) characters mine to computer refuse strewn and useless across the landscape—are woven into different character costumes. Visually stunning, the aesthetic emphasizes the story’s earthy yet techno quality. Bursts of color and texture in costume design, in particular, along with surreal, day-glo dream sequences are gorgeous. At the same time, the filmmakers braid together varying uses for the word binary. An obvious term in relation to the lo-fi tech landscape, the word takes a more complicated meaning with the fluid presence of Motherboard, played at first by Elvis Ngabo and later by Cheryl Isheja. The word is again reexamined as Motherboard is received by Innocent (Dorcy Rugamba), and then Matalusa (Bertrand Ninteretse). Traveling from one age to another, one realm to another, one gender to another, Motherboard is an agent of transformation. They tell us they see through what blinds others, they see the past and present and future altogether. In time, the very word binary becomes meaningless, a limitation. Frequent mention of binary crime theory, a concept deepened by the line “to imagine hell is privilege,” offers stark reminder that this is a Rwandan film. For Neptune Frost , there is not one or the other, not past or future, not good or evil, not male or female, not miner or mine. This fluidity makes the film tough to properly summarize, and the ambiguous and ambitious plot structure becomes frustrating during the middle section. But Neptune Frost is never less than fascinating. Rich with symbolism that brings past to present and reinterprets it for the future, the film speaks of resilience and power. And it does it like no film you’ve seen before. About the Film Critic Hope Madden World Cinema, Indie Feature Film < All Reviews Next Film Review >

HOME | FILMS | REVIEWS A Dust of Phantasm Film Review average rating is 3 out of 5 Critic: Swati Verma | Posted on: Aug 28, 2022 Directed by: Mathew Ouzounis Written by: Mathew Ouzounis Starring: Mellissa Taylor, Madalena Brancatella, Adam Argyrides The title of the short film-A Dust of Phantasm has connotations of the Protagonist Elizabeth (Melissa Taylor) lost in the whirlpool of Illusions and apparitions trying hard to fight her inner demons. The writer-director Mathew Ouzounis through this cinematic piece wants to dig deep into the human psyche and share his knowledge with the audience. A Sci-Fi drama dating back to the period of the 1940's explores how far a woman would go to re-witness her tragic past in an attempt to heal herself. The cinematographer Andrew Ouzounis captures the essence of the era of the 1940's perfectly by utilizing the set design, black and white colour palette, lighting, costume, makeup, dialogues, music, and white smoke giving a tribute to the style of filmmaking that was prevalent in those times. A series of long shots of the car, Elizabeth, and a house assists in establishing the subject matter of the movie. Various kinds of masks are brilliantly incorporated into the narrative to intensify the mystery, drama, and suspense elements so that the content engages the audience fully. A well-written flashback sequence ensures that the storyline moves smoothly without breaking its continuity. In terms of performance, Melissa Taylor plays Elizabeth who wants to battle the traumatic past and rediscover herself for the betterment of the present time. Taylor holds up to the etiquette game strongly portraying the elegance and poise required in the forties. The expressions of the actress are on point and suitable for every situation in the storyline which helps the viewers to connect with the leading lady. Madalena Brancatella is Marcella the antagonist of the story who runs the business of selling products like the recollection product. Brancatella uses body language, voice modulation, and other mannerism to evoke dislike in minds of the audience for her character. Adam Argyrides is in the role of Ronald who is another antagonist and he is one, who handles the technical part of all the operations taking part in the house. Argyrides showcases all the skills needed to stay true to the genre of science fiction. A Dust of Phantasm discusses the importance of memories in our lives and memories are something that makes us unique. It also talks to its audience that they shouldn’t be emotionally over-dependent on someone else to solve their problems. This dark parable warns us regarding the need to find the light within while fighting the darkness or else strangers would only take advantage of one's situation. The cinematic piece reiterates the fact that dwelling on the past isn’t the answer to all the queries relating to life in the present. Every juncture is different and one needs to deal with it differently. The sci-fi dramatic piece also tells the viewers that they should always be aware of the reality and not forget the same while wanting to experience the concept of Phantasm. The short film subtly discusses the class system and the perception of women in the era represented in the creative piece. As an ardent viewer of short films, I loved that the writer-director Mathew Ouzounis could provide us with the right mix of Sci-Fi and drama and an interesting subject that left me intrigued about the same. About the Film Critic Swati Verma Short Film < All Reviews Next Film Review >

HOME | FILMS | REVIEWS Pet Yeti - Playing The Floor is Made of Lava Film Review average rating is 2 out of 5 Critic: Joe Beck | Posted on: Jul 11, 2022 Directed by: Rakesh Jaitly Written by: N/A Starring: N/A ‘Pet Yeti - Playing The Floor is Made of Lava’ is not so much a short film, but more of an unofficial music video for Soundcloud artist Pet Yeti. Music videos themselves have the power to tell stories ordinarily, however, this achieves nothing to make it stand out from the cloud - on both audible and visual fronts. The ‘film’ puts the song together with a man - presumably Pet Yeti themselves - working on a piece of artwork. The final result of the painting is more interesting and poses more questions that the rest of the piece. Despite the title, there is no glimpse of the iconic game ‘the floor is lava’ - which would have spiced up the ‘film’ tenfold. The gentleman is also definitely not by himself - with two accomplices lounging on the sofa whilst he undertakes the task of formulating the painting. The song itself is very Bo Burnham, appeals no doubt to that sort of crowd, however, a truly great song should be able to resonate with everybody - unfortunately this song doesn’t do that. It meanders around, bringing up rogue themes of isolation and depression which don’t suit the overall positive vibe of the short. It’s tonally all over the place - a remarkable feat given it’s only three minutes long. Watching ‘Pet Yeti - Playing the Floor is Made of Lava’, the question has to be raised - what really constitutes a film? This is the sort of thing - with a similar production value - that you’d find scrolling on TikTok. In any case, it doesn’t hold the attention - in fact, heeding the songs guidance, you’d be better off watching Star Trek on Netflix. About the Film Critic Joe Beck Short Film < All Reviews Next Film Review >

HOME | FILMS | REVIEWS The Scary of Sixty-First Film Review average rating is 3 out of 5 Critic: Hope Madden | Posted on: Jan 4, 2022 Directed by: Dasha Nekrasova Written by: Dasha Nekrasova, Madeline Quinn Starring: Betsey Brown, Madeline Qiuinn, Dasha Nekrasova At some point during The Scary of Sixty-First you may ask yourself, “What in the hell am I watching?” Don’t feel alone. In fact, if you don’t ask that question, you may be the only one. Director/co-writer/co-star Dasha Nekrasova mines the weak logic of many Satanic horror films to marvel at the subjective reality that’s so prevalent these days. Noelle (co-writer Madeline Quinn) and Addie (Betsey Brown) move into an uptown NYC apartment. It’s furnished, simultaneously high end and sketchy, and they’re getting it for a song because the previous tenants had to leave so quickly. Ripe horror context there. Who were they? Why did they have to leave so quickly? Why did they leave behind all this stuff? Why is there a mirror on the ceiling in one bedroom? The cinematic style, stilted performances and uptown apartments blur together to form a kind of Seventies-style horror like The Sentinel or The Mephisto Waltz . The most important element: wild leaps in logic—anagrams, prime numbers, cryptic messages. Conspiracies. Did the girls’ apartment previously belong to Jeffrey Epstein? Some people say so, specifically the young woman who poses as a realtor’s agent and then as an investigative reporter before finally fessing up that she’s piecing together her own theories about Epstein. Noelle is in! The sleuthing is on! Addie, on the other hand, is having some kind of breakdown. Is something in the apartment haunting her? Possessing her? Nekrasova and Quinn weave together real conspiracy theories about Epstein and other topics to create a fever dream of horror that points out how preposterous and salacious all these theories really are. How these theories speak more to the mind of the believer than to any kind of reality. Nekrasova is actually pretty empathetic toward conspiracy theorists, even if she clearly thinks they are 1) wrong and 2) probably insane. The film offers bold, wet, pungent lunacy, vivid fantasies pulled from the collective unconscious of folks ready to believe—or imagine—the most effed up scenarios. Chances are strong that, between the intentionally flat performances and the supremely WTF plotline, The Scary of Sixty-First will not land with most audiences. But it’s a wild vision and I’m not sorry I caught it. About the Film Critic Hope Madden Theatrical Release, Digital / DVD Release, Indie Feature Film, LGBTQ+ < All Reviews Next Film Review >

HOME | FILMS | REVIEWS Insentient Film Review average rating is 2 out of 5 Critic: Patrick Foley | Posted on: Aug 20, 2021 Directed by: Sohale Dezfoli Written by: Sohale Dezfoli Starring: David Arkema, Clayton Stocker Myers, Elizabeth Saint They say that the best revenge is a life well lived. Someone probably should have probably shared that snippet of wisdom with the co-leads of Insentient , who have decided that the best revenge is to rob your ex-girlfriend at gunpoint – with predictably tragic consequences. Heartbroken after discovering his girlfriend’s (Elizabeth Saint) infidelity, Stan (David Arkema) enlists his brother Marty (Clayton Stocker Myers) in a revenge plan. At a diner, the pair discuss their scheme – which will involve an armed break-in and the theft of an undisclosed item that has great meaning to the former lovers. But as the brothers take action, they discover that plans made in anger never go as expected. Insentient is an ambitious short film that tries its best to formulate thought-provoking statements on the futility of revenge and the inability to let go. But it is let down by a half-baked story and clunky dialogue. The film’s premise is basic enough – a jilted lover embarking on a revenge mission with an ally who does not share the same emotional red mist. But this ends up over-complicated with the inclusion of a bizarre, mysterious Mcguffin the pair are planning to steal. This item is never explained nor revealed, and the pair’s determination to acquire it feels forced because of this. Quite what would be so precious to all three characters, with their varying motivators, is left ambiguous – and comes across as a failed attempt at forcing an unnecessary mystique onto the film. Marcelles Wallace’s briefcase this is not. There seems to have also been a determination to pack in as much cliched, hokey dialogue as possible into the short’s 20-minute runtime. Some low-lights include “Death is peace”, “What if she’s packing?” and constant, uncomfortable and elusive references to the mysterious ‘It’. Designed to add depth to the film, this instead results in barely a line of believable, human exchange in the piece. The need to preserve the unnecessary mystery of the item desired by the brothers is a major culprit in the awkwardness of the writing, but beyond that, other moments are simply contrived and trite. Too many awkward attempts at meaningful one-liners lead to disappointing consequences. It's a shame because the film is shot well, with some effective shaky camera work which emphasises the uncertainty and inexperience of the two brothers. The tension leading up to the invasion is built well with a rising score, and a late stand-off is handled very well by director Sohale Dezfoli. There are some missteps however, with a random cut-away to a shadowy figure featured prominently with little pay-off, or flashbacks inserted without much thought to how they serve the story. The film is very character focused, with the brother’s relationship placed squarely at centre of the story. Clayton Stocker Myers is the highlight as Marty, who is conflicted over his loyalty to his brother and his concern about the danger of the plan. Myers brings depth to the role and shows range as the pair take things too far. David Arkema’s Stan meanwhile spends most of the film looking like he’s about to burst into tears. His fragile emotional state is on display, but it all comes across as a little over-dramatic. There’s a decent idea in Insentient, but the director’s determination to extract deeper meaning from his film ends up undermining the depth the subject brings naturally. The short is too overcooked to be anything really special. About the Film Critic Patrick Foley Digital / DVD Release, Short Film, Indie Feature Film, Amazon Prime < All Reviews Next Film Review >

HOME | FILMS | REVIEWS Boy in the Corner Film Review average rating is 4 out of 5 Critic: Jason Knight | Posted on: Nov 27, 2022 Directed by: Joshy Lee Written by: Joshy Lee, Luciano D'Amato Starring: Cyran Vergara, Victoria Shepherd, Akil Largie, Shaun Pelayo A troubled boy gets involved with a gang of criminals. Myles (Vergara) is a quiet schoolboy, who lives with his mother (Shepherd) and little sister and spends his days hanging around with his two friends, playing basketball and practicing on his guitar. Unfortunately, he also has issues and gets into fights at school. As a result, it has been arranged for a mentor (Largie) to see him, much to Myles's annoyance. His life takes a turn for the worst when he meets a local gang who welcome him in their world and make him do illegal errands for them. This feature is a hard-hitting drama that concentrates on the life of a teenager who appears to have lost his way in life and ends up going downhill even more. Myles seems to be unhappy with his life, living in a household that has money problems, disapproving of his mother beginning a relationship. He finds joy and acceptance when he joins the gangsters, who are led by Jaime (Pelayo) and give him money and smart clothing, until he discovers that kind of life is threatening and will most likely get him killed or send him to prison. His decisions end up alienating him from the ones who care about him, including his mother and friends. The screenplay explores how unhappy individuals become part of gangs in the belief that it will lead to a better life and vividly points out that it is a path that will lead to devastating consequences. The performances are strong and Vergara is quite dramatic as a troubled and angry youth who does not talk much and gets involved with the wrong people. Shepherd is emotional as Myles's caring mother, who is deeply concenrned for his well-being and Largie does a great job as a mentor who had a troubled upbringing. In some ways, Pelayo's character serves as the antagonist, a double-faced criminal who can be friendly and also menacing. Filming was done entirey in black-and-white and the cinematography by Tamas Apor Meder creates a downbeat atmosphere. The filmmakers also make effective use of slow motion. Regarding the music by Ana Kasrashvili, it is rather dramatic and there are also a couple of rap songs. Basically, the main message of this film is that a life of crime is a mistake that only leads to bad things. It analyses the circumstances that can lead someone to turn to crime and how that affects them and those around them. Apart from crime, this is also film about self-discovery that looks into inner struggles, friendship and family values. About the Film Critic Jason Knight Indie Feature Film < All Reviews Next Film Review >

HOME | FILMS | REVIEWS Lost in Terra Dimension Film Review average rating is 2 out of 5 Critic: Jason Knight | Posted on: Sep 15, 2022 Directed by: Kat Lehto, Lizelle Gutierrez Written by: Lizelle Gutierrez, Kat Lehto Starring: Lizelle Gutierrez, Kat Lehto, Zoey Grayce, John Moamar, Colin Shull A group of righteous forces do battle against an evil, powerful entity. This fantasy feature focuses on two sisters, who are Zeandra (Gutierrez) and Spacle (Lehto) and a world of multiple dimensions and people with superpowers. After Spacle is captured by despicable Dictator Doom-X (Moamar), Zeandra must find a way to rescue her with the help of magical allies. With a limited budget, filmmakers created an hour-long story that is a fairy tale adventure about love, magic, danger and courage and also explores themes of sisterhood and self-discovery. Although the two siblings are the main protagonists, the film contains multiple characters that include a group of women called Z-Fairies (no wings), Doom-X who serves as the main antagonist and his followers. Basically, the plot is a battle of Good vs Evil and a rescue mission. The screenplay follows Zeandra as she attempts to find her sister and also observes Spacle as she is being held captive. The movie has plenty of elements that place it into the fantasy category and these elements include characters using their supernatural powers for combat, which resemble lightning and fire, a talking horse, a mask that makes the wearer invisible and a magic key. As this was filmed on a low budget, the special effects do not look great, however they are good enough to give the audience the right impression regarding what is happening in the scenes. Much of the story takes place in the countryside or at abandoned buildings. Regarding the clothing, most of it is casual and nothing really stands out. The bad guys wear black, which is rather traditional in movies but apart from that, the clothers appear normal. Going to the acting now, it would be hard to give it any praise as it is quite poor. Vasilios Alagiannis and Ly Vui worked on the editing and utilise superimposition and dissolve techniques to decent effect. Vui also composed the score, along with Steven Lizama and the music sometimes sounds adventurous, emotional or magical. The sound effects are creative and a positive addition to the film. Whether this feature is enjoyable pretty much depends on the person. In order for someone to enjoy this imaginative adventure, they will probably have to not take it seriously. The low production value is evident throughout and the occasional clumsy camerawork does not help. If a viewer can look past the flaws and focus on the story, then they might be content. About the Film Critic Jason Knight Indie Feature Film < All Reviews Next Film Review >

HOME | FILMS | REVIEWS Brutal Season Film Review average rating is 5 out of 5 Critic: Jason Knight | Posted on: Mar 14, 2024 Directed by: Gavin Fields Written by: Gavin Fields Starring: Colleen Madden, Houston Settle, Markwood Fields, Shelby Grady, James Ridge, Shuler Hensley In 1940s New York, a family's life is disrupted by the unexpected arrival of an estranged relative. A good way to start this review would be with the interesting opening of this feature, which takes place with the film-within-a-film technique or the metacinema mode. A film crew is preparing a sound stage, while a narrator briefly gives some information about the story that is about to begin. Then the protagonists are introduced one-by-one, along with their character's name and also their fictional acting name (not the actors' actual names just to be clear), stating that the viewers are watching a work of fiction within a work of fiction. This is an unusual beginning for a film and a rather clever one. Moving on to the plot now, the first half could be categorised as a period family drama and the rest as a murder-mystery thriller. The narrative takes place in Brooklyn, New York during the summer of 1948. The Trouth family live in an apartment and they consist of Gayle (Madden) and Louis (Ridge), an elderly couple and their two grown-up children, Marianne (Grady) and Charles (Fields). Generally, they are happy, although they are facing some issues as Louis is struggling to maintain a job and Marianne wants to move away. Then, from nowhere, Louis Jr. (Settle), the eldest son, appears, who had left their home twelve years ago without any notification and spend his time travelling and working around the country and Mexico. Although his mother and brother are happy to see him, his sister and father are less pleased. Louis Jr. settles in and catches up with everyone, however the drama begins when he confronts his father about the past, his drinking and gambling problems and a family inheritance. Then, a terrible event turns things upside-down and a life insurance investigator (Hensley) arrives at the apartment in order to interview the family members and determine what happened. From there, the suspense and tension rises as the investigator talks with the Trouths one by one and more and more facts are brought to life, leading to quite dramatic revelations. Watching this film feels like watching a play. Almost the entire narrative takes place inside one large room, with characters usually sitting at a table, playing cards and having conversations. Also, several shots are directed in ways that make the viewer feel The mise-en-scene is impressive and it effectively creates a 1940s environment. To begin with, the costumes look very realistic and forties, thanks to the work of Melania Brescia and Andrew Haueter and the hairstyles and furniture also belong in that time period and special mention goes to the appearance of an antique knife that plays a vital part in the story. Production designer Dex Edwards makes an outstanding contribution with the convincing sets. The fabulous music by Andrew Burke is emotional and dynamic and it seems to go with the period in which the story is set. Commendations also go to the creative lighting methods and Steven Carmona's cinematography which create a moody atmosphere. It is also worth mentioning that the hot weather that takes place in the story is obvious as the characters are often sweating. The well-structured screenplay creates interesting characters, the most intriguing arguably being Louis Jr. He stands out as he has a sort of cool attitude and he is confident and sharp and does not hesitate to express his thoughts. Louis Sr. is probably a close second, a frail old man who is trying to leave his past mistakes behind him. The investigator more or less becomes the protagonist for the second half of the film as he plays detective to uncover the truth behind a tragedy. This is a story about murder and the complications of a surprise family reunion. Through scenes of heavy drama and mystery, the feature explores family values, regrets and reconciliation. It is a journey back to the 1940s that seems to pay homage to films of that era, particularly film noir and the strong performances, well-written screenplay and forties atmosphere make this a viewing that stands out. About the Film Critic Jason Knight Indie Feature Film < All Reviews Next Film Review >

HOME | FILMS | REVIEWS Something Flash Film Review average rating is 4 out of 5 Critic: Jason Knight | Posted on: Mar 16, 2023 Directed by: Alessandro Amaducci Written by: Kris Vanderheyden Starring: Catena A music video with mobile phones, funny faces, punk, dance floors, office workers, a woman with a baseball bat and the Joker. Something Flash is a song from the album In Order To Dance 4.0 by R&S Records and it is the work of Belgian music producer Kris Vanderheyden, who is also known as Insider. The video is five-and-a-half minutes long and the constant accompanying sound is the title song and being put together with the images creates quite a ride. Visually, the video is basically a montage that contains a variety of subjects that alternate between them and it mixes live action with animation. These subjects include closeups of people looking into the camera, with their faces cartoonishly altered and surrounded by symbols that are found in social media, such as 'Thumbs Up', 'Hearts' and 'Emojis', floating around the person. Other shots show people with changed faces again taking selfies and surrounded by floating symbols, while others have a man in a suit, with a television instead of a head. Sequences that are not animated consist of people dancing, rioting and a man wearing makeup that resembles the 2019 film Joker . All these shots alternate between them throughout, along with two characters who make frequent appearances. These two characters are a live action woman wearing punk clothing and an animated woman holding a baseball bat, also dressed in punk clothing and she looks like Harley Quinn. The video appears to be satirising society's obsession with mobile phones and social media and the world of high-tech corporations and rebelling against them. This is indicated with the funny faces taking selfies, along with the symbols, the suited man with a TV head and scenes where the punk woman has been edited in front of occupied offices and boardrooms, primarily sticking her tongue out and a scene where fire is coming out of her mouth, torching social media heart symbols. Punk is sometimes associated with rebellion and the character of Joker represents anarchy and having these two present could mean an opposition against a world dominated by technology and rules and the footage of people dancing could be an idea that people should stop being slaves to a system and dance in order to be free. Listening to the Dance/Electronic track Something Flash , while watching the intriguing and occasionally awkward images is quite an experience. The dynamic song is the kind that would be very appropriate for a dance floor and it provides more energy to the images. There are no words, apart from the few that are uttered by the Joker character. This is a super cool music video. What the main message is might be open to interpretation, however its true value lies in the awesome song and the creative animation. It offers entertainment and for the viewers who are interested in looking into its themes, it offers a thoughtful experience. About the Film Critic Jason Knight Music Video, Short Film < All Reviews Next Film Review >

HOME | FILMS | REVIEWS Stop Making This Hurt Film Review average rating is 4 out of 5 Critic: Jason Knight | Posted on: Dec 13, 2022 Directed by: Susie Kimnell Written by: Susie Kimnell Starring: Joe Swift, Beth Collins, Alexander Jeremy, Elisha Mistretta A man meets his former partner in a restaurant and they discuss the past. A man (Swift) is sitting at a restaurant table by himself. Closing time is approaching and the place is quiet and a bit darkened. Eventually, he is joined by a woman (Collins), with whom he used to have a relationship. The two of them have a conversation and it becomes apparent that things between them ended up badly. The man attempts to apologise and make things better, however, it becomes evident that he did something terrible. This dark short film begins as a drama about a broken relationship and as the story progresses and more and more clues are brought to light, things move towards thriller territory. The main element is the conversation between the two protagonists, which tells a lot about their lives, particularly about the man's life, about what kind of person he is and the findings are not positive and just keep getting worse and worse. Swift delivers a chilling performance as an individual who has very dark secrets and a very sinister hidden personality. Although, he can appear charming and cheerful, it is obvious that ultimately, he is a bad person. Collins does a terrific job as a his ex-partner who was a victim to his actions and knows what he really is. The film is free from music, apart from the ending, which is where Duncan Pittock and Richard Lacy make their contribution with a sinister score that makes an effective closing. Ben Mann also deserves commendations for the work on the cinematography. This short has a very-well-structured screenplay that starts with more or less normality and revelation after revelation lead to a devastating truth. Through well-written dialogue and strong acting, this film tells a dark and memorable story. About the Film Critic Jason Knight Short Film < All Reviews Next Film Review >