★★★★ Directed by #RaminBahrani Written by #RaminBahrani Starring #AdarshGourav Film Review by Hope Madden Rarely do we root for the social climber. Certainly not the social climber who intentionally harms others of his station, unabashedly sucks up to his masters, and disregards the family he left in poverty. But Ramin Bahrani’s sly thriller The White Tiger does a lot of things you might not expect. His own adaptation of Aravind Agida’s prized novel, the film shadows a cunning young Indian man as he fights to rise from the abject poverty of his caste. A deeply impressive Adarsh Gourav is Balram, entrepreneur. Bahrani opens the film as a mustachioed, suave-looking Bahrani tells us his “glorious tale” of overcoming poverty and becoming his own master. And as much as that story takes some unexpected turns, it’s the tone Bahrani develops that is especially audacious. The White Tiger offers a blistering class consciousness that makes the filmmaker’s 2014 film 99 Homes feel positively cozy with the effects of capitalism. Bahrani eviscerates India’s caste system along with a cinematic history of romanticizing the adoration and martyrdom of the Indian servant. He takes a not-so-subtle jab as well at dreamy redemption tales like Slumdog Millionaire. Balram worms his way into the service of his master’s youngest son Ashok (Rajkummar Rao) and his wife Pinky (Priyanka Chopra), both back after years in America. Rao and Chopra represent a different and altogether more insidious look at class warfare—insidious because of its self-righteous and superficial beliefs in equality. Their performances are stellar and altogether slap-worthy. Balram’s social climbing gets him only so far, and a sudden and violent shift in perspective leaves him fully aware of his own vulnerability. Bahrani’s masterful direction makes the most of background to establish and reestablish Balram’s position and his thinking. And as utterly contemptuous as this film is concerning the wealthy and powerful, director and lead make you feel the depth and history involved in a servant’s culture of devotion. #HopeMadden

★★★ Directed by #GabrielaCowperthwaite Written by #BradIngelsby Starring #DakotaJohnson #JasonSegel #CaseyAffleck Film Review by George Wolf We don’t tell the truth about dying. Writer Matthew Teague came to that realization in 2012 when his wife Nicole died of cancer at the age of 34, leaving behind Matt, two daughters, and one very special best friend. Five years later, Matt detailed their ordeal in an award-winning piece for Esquire magazine. Though it wasn’t Matt’s original intent, as the piece took shape it became clear his focus was Dane Faucheux, the friend who put his own life on hold to be there for Matt, Nicole and their girls. Director Gabriela Cowperthwaite and screenwriter Brad Ingelsby deliver Teague’s memoir to the screen with a tender focus on the daily details, and a stellar trio of leads delivering authentic, emotional performances. Dakota Johnson has never been better as Nicole, bringing a heartbreaking sweetness to the journey into physical and mental decay before her character’s final breaths. The quiet, committed stoicism that Matt fights to maintain is a natural vehicle for Casey Affleck, and he absorbs the role seamlessly. The Oscar-winning Affleck allows Matt’s hurt to register even in the lightly humorous moments, revealing a man caught between remaining strong and truly processing what the future will bring. But much like in Teague’s original story, Dane is the soul of this film, thanks to Jason Segel’s warm and vulnerable performance. We see – even before Dane does – that his place in the Teague family has given his life the purpose he’s been craving. Segel never stoops to melodrama, and his scenes with the Teague girls (Isabella Kai and Violet McGraw, both terrific) sparkle with the charm of a man who has found peace within this family. A wonderful cameo by the always-welcome Cherry Jones as a hospice nurse only cements the effectiveness of this cast, and of Cowperthwaite’s dramatic instincts. The drawback here is the non-linear structure in Ingelsby’s script. Though you can see how the shifting timelines might fit a magazine article, on screen they keeps us at a distance, and prevent the trio’s backstory from truly taking root. The chapters in these lives are not equally important, each builds on the other to strengthen the human bonds. Our connection suffers with the re-set of each new time stamp. Is this a tear-jerker? For sure, but Cowperthwaite (Blackfish, Megan Leavey) creates a mood that steers clear of sappy. That elusive truth of dying will always be uniquely intimate, and the way Cowperthwaite’s camera gently wanders away from characters and conversations provides a consistent reminder that the nature of grieving is that it’s often for the lives left behind. Because this isn’t really a story about dying, it’s one about caring – caring about other people enough to care for them when it helps. As one family found out, there’s a true beauty in that, and Our Friend lets us glimpse it. #GeorgeWolf

★★★★ Directed by #OualidMouaness Written by #OualidMouaness Starring #NadineLebaki #MohamadDalli Film Review by Matt Weiner Wars are complicated. War movies? Not so much, at least not in this country. How, then, to tell the story of an invasion unfolding in the middle of a decades-long civil war? In 1982, writer and director Oualid Mouaness narrows the lens in his feature debut to focus on the smaller picture. Set at the onset of Israel’s June 1982 invasion in Lebanon during the country’s ongoing civil war, Mouaness’s camera almost never leaves the fenced-in confines of one Beirut school. Encroaching tanks and fighter jets begin the day as distant updates on the radios, with concerned teachers and school staff furtively trying to stay updated without alarming the children. But as the invasion progresses, it becomes impossible for anyone to keep the reality of war at bay. How this plays out in a diverse country already torn apart by years of fighting becomes the subject of two love stories. For Yasmine (Nadine Labaki), concerns about her militia member brother outweigh keeping her relationship going with Joseph (Rodrigue Sleiman), a fellow teacher with opposing political views. Their complicated allegiances serve as a stand-in for the rapidly shifting political landscape in the country, and their uncertainties—toward each other, and the future—are played to great effect by both Labaki and Sleiman. The film’s other main star-crossed love story is a much lighter one, as 11-year-old Wissam attempts to woo a classmate in the face of challenges both typical—pre-teen embarrassment—and extraordinary, like the one checkpoint to her house being closed. The split between the faculty and the students is effective, to a point. Although as the idyllic bubble of the students clashes more and more with the war just beyond the school walls, the intensity given to Wissam’s courtship feels increasingly at odds with the stakes. Some of that seems by design. Mouaness hints at the greater sectarian strife tearing the country apart, but there’s only so much metaphorical weight you can load onto the school’s metaphorical stand-ins. The film does such an economical job sketching the complexities of the war that any single, tidy resolution would do the message a disservice. In the meantime, we are left feeling much like Wissam, aware for the first time of the complicated forces that determine our lives. And aware too of just how powerless we are to alter their direction. #MattWeiner

★★★ Directed by #ConorAllyn Written by #JakeAllyn #DavidBarraza Starring #JakeAllyn #FrankGrillo Film Review by Cat McAlpine The liminal space between Mexico and Texas is home to fear, anxiety, and confusion. It is in this taut, emotional maelstrom that two families tragically collide. The Greers have a struggling cattle ranch directly on the border. Young Fernando and his family are making their way into Texas illegally, led by their father, Gustavo. “Texas looks like Mexico,” Young Fernando observes. “Yes, it does,” his father agrees. No Man’s Land hinges on the relationship between sons and fathers and their shared legacies. The film is a family affair in its own right, co-written by Jake Allyn (who also stars as Jackson Greer) and directed by his brother Conor Allyn. Also written by David Barraza, No Man’s Land attempts to tackle national tensions along the border. This is a new and old western. It prods at current events but follows the familiar beat of a man on the run seeking redemption. Forced to flee, Jackson makes his way deeper and deeper into Mexico, paralleling an immigrant’s journey northward. He doesn’t speak the language but he’s willing to work, and work hard. No Man’s Land subconsciously uses the same “he had his whole life ahead of him” argument we often see used for violent, young white men. Jackson is at the mercy of a culture, and in particular a grieving father, who owe him nothing. And yet it is their kindness, compassion, and forgiveness that truly save Jackson from the mistakes he’s made. He becomes more compassionate and understanding after experiencing Mexican culture, instead of simply recognizing the intrinsic value of other humans from the start. Visually, the film is breathtaking. Technology is largely eliminated from the screen, horses are used as often as cars, and there’s a timeless western quality to the story. Jackson’s journey into Mexico is not made hazy with yellow filters, but instead shows a place more vibrant and green than his home. The cast is another shining element in No Man’s Land. Allyn delivers an agonized but mostly understated performance as Jake. He’s matched by a wonderful Jorge A. Jimenez as Gustavo, a man constantly battling with himself. And George Lopez – as a Texas ranger who can’t speak Spanish – adds great dimension to the stories as they intertwine. No Man’s Land is beautifully shot, emotional, and an honest extension of the western genre, but ultimately its call to unity could use some work. #CatMcAlpine

★★★ Directed by #MikeMosallam Written by #MikeMosallam Starring #HaazSleiman #MichaelCassidy Film Review by Rachel Willis Most rom-coms, or rom-dramedies, follow a very specific pattern. You already know when each plot point will happen: the meet, the first date, the montage of falling in love, etc. Writer/director Mike Mosallam’s first feature, Breaking Fast, follows this predictable model to the letter. So, what makes Breaking Fast different? Mainly, the characters. Mo (Haaz Sleiman) is a gay Muslim living in West Hollywood. His best friend, Sam (Amin El Gamal) is eager to see Mo get back into a relationship after his last ended when Mo’s closeted boyfriend broke up with him to marry a woman. As the holy month of Ramadan begins, Mo meets Kal (Michael Cassidy). From here, you know the plot, but Mosallam weaves into the narrative elements with which you might not be familiar. Mo is adamant that his faith is not incompatible with his sexuality. And as he gets to know Kal, the two grow close as Kal breaks fast with Mo nearly every night during Ramadan. Most of the gay men we meet in the film, including Sam, have turned their backs on any form of religion due to the harassment they have experienced in the name of faith. But Mo’s experience has been one of love and acceptance, and his devotion to his faith is a large part of the film. Awkward dialogue makes for some tedious moments. Part of the problem is that Mosallam wants to paint us a new picture of Islam, one that is full of love and acceptance. Unfortunately, that lands on the screen feeling more like a lesson than an integrated narrative layer. This isn’t the first movie to try to educate its audience, but the clumsiness of the execution weakens the film. There are also some uncomfortable moments between Kal and Mo, and not the kind of uncomfortable that comes across as cute. These scenes are not awkward enough to leave you rooting for a couple, but embarrassing to the point of being hard to watch. But then, there are the sweet moments between the two, and you do find yourself pulling for them as they weather the difficulties of a new relationship. Too bad Breaking Fast never finds the right balance between what it is and what it wants to teach you. #RachelWillis

★★★★ Directed by: Stephen Cognetti Written by: Stephen Cognetti Starring: Danny Bellini, Adam Schneider, Gore Abrams and Brian David Tracey Film Review by Rachel Pullen Hell House LLC 3: Lake of Fire Film Review Welcome back, how have you been? Repeated any past mistakes recently? Maybe you fell off the sobriety wagon, or you lost your temper again over something you swore you wouldn't, or maybe...just maybe, you visited a haunted hotel that seems to kill people time and time again, in order to open a Halloween haunt and cash in? No? Good, you’re a lot smarter than everyone ever from the hell house trilogy then. You guessed it gang, a fresh bunch of idiots can’t wait to take this haunted hotel of death, ignore the warning signs and jump straight into opening a haunted house for the Halloween season in Hell House LLC 3: Lake of Fire. They are professional, they have CCTV everywhere, a buddy system so no one is alone in the house and rules that no one can stay in the hotel when work ends because we all know, if there's one thing that demons and hell beasts respect, it’s health and safety regulations. But despite their obvious wet floor signs and box lifting training, it’s not long before the spooky goings-on begin to arise...mannequins are going crazy, shadow people linger in the background once more and one by one the staff begin to want to back out of the Halloween show...really, did you expect a murder hotel to be a pleasant place, jeez! But wait, what's that on the horizon, a storyline that ties all the films together, awesome, because I was about to go bonkers if something didn't come from all the hotel action that I had sat through at this point, and also if you remember last week the hotel was reaching out to people, sliding into the DM's in order to get them to come over for some Netflix and kill time. What was that all about, where's my invite? So I was an eager beaver to get to the bottom of that situation! Russell, our main leader of this year’s Halloween haunt, was the chap who had edited the footage that was found from the previous victims of the house who were in the second instalment of the films, his connection to the hotel had already begun before the film did. He is a shady dude, he has money issues, he works with a priest on the side, he gets packages that no one can be involved in, but hey he is a charismatic guy, he seems to care about his staff and has good procedures in place, so.. let’s just ignore the fact that he is clearly dealing beanie babies on the side. Oh yeah and he died for like two minutes in a car crash but now is ok. It’s not long before the typical Hell House garbage ensures and everyone has a bad time on opening night, as a bunch of hell beasts jump out of the gates of hell in the basement and start slashing all the guests and staff up...but wait, who's that in the distance, it’s Russell of course! The man who has already survived death! He has come to save the day as he jumps into the hell portal, fighting the main ghost who has been behind controlling the hotel’s actions and trying to lure people in to join his undead army! Then a fire happens and the hotel is gone, well I would have done that straight away, but we got there in the end. Now I’m not going to ruin too much, because the last 20 minutes of this film is insane, some could say silly, it’s a bit of a Marmite situation, some fans love its hammy and over the top final moments and some feel that it’s too cheesy and ruins the simplicity of horror that the series has, up to now, stuck to. Me ...well it was classic bants, a bit of slapstick action in a horror does not phase me, but I agree if as a filmmaker you are following a certain style within a trilogy, and that style has paid off well with fans, don't chuck it out the window in the last moments of the tale because it seems like the easiest way to wrap up the loose ends, fans will flock to forums to call directors out on that shit...from the basements, the ones that lack portals to hell to be fair. And as for my boyfriend...the clown, he is the cherry on the cake in this movie, providing the genuine chills that I loved this trilogy for...he is smooth, he is sexy, he has big shoes and says nothing, ah my dream man. One day I just hope he traps me in a basement that happens to have a portal to hell in it underneath a haunted hotel...pure romance. With Hell House LLC 3: Lake of Fire, here we are at the end, and what have we learned... Just burn the hotel down after the first killing. People who survive car accidents have secrets. And my unhealthy kink for serial killer clowns is ruining any future relationships of mine. #RachelPullen #ThrowbackThursday

★★★ Written & Directed by: #MarkGarvey Starring: #CallumOakabyWright, #MarkGarvey, #MaureenRoche Film Review by Taryll Baker 'Twas the Devil is an interactive "choose-your-own-folktale" set in England's dark past at a time at which the Devil and witchcraft were all too real. Right off the bat, this new interactive feature from Mark Garvey is a superbly intriguing film. It follows a man who journeys across a mysterious land, meeting interesting characters and instant events that the viewer must navigate through. And since this is a “choose your own path” story, my ending will be different to that of another’s. ’Twas The Devil is captured in black and white, and cinematographer (also writer and director) Mark Garvey uses the camera in wonderful ways. There’s some impressive shot choices and the grittiness in the visual supplements the creaky tone in the story. Bill Hooper’s music is haunting, screechy, and bombastic in all the best ways. It really adds to the dreary atmosphere created in this interactive experience, with that folklore edge as expected. Lots of variety with choir, stringed instruments and percussive sounds. ’Twas The Devil may not be an easy story to follow, in fact it often feels so dreamy and chaotic that it gives off the impression of style over substance, but it’s certainly an achievement. More media is being crafted with the purpose of the viewer choosing the outcome, and it can’t be an easy thing to pull off, so the cast and crew have my respect in that regard. The performances from the entire cast are rich with texture and enthusiasm. It reminds me very much of wandering through the world of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim and bumping into the many strange non-player characters, though like when playing that video game, I often found myself wanting to skip through large amounts of dialogue. It’s often overwhelming how much these characters seem to interject themselves into the path of Miles, almost seeming as if a gimmick rather than something that aided the story. Mark Garvey is clearly very talented and this is definitely more of an experiment of his skill set rather than something for the average film fan. To put it plainly, ’Twas The Devil has a phenomenal plan and is executed flawlessly on a technical level, it just seems as if the trouble of making it an interactive experience wasn’t so necessary. It has splendid visuals, eerie music, and an incredible variety in supporting characters, but the meandering pace and interfering choices dampened an otherwise entertaining and well made film. I’m wondering what the other multiple endings could be, but I’m not so sure I’d be willing to trek through it again to find out. Watch the trailer for 'Twas The Devil below. #TaryllBaker

★★★★ Directed by: Jack Smith Written by: Jack Smith Starring: Lawrence Brown, Ruggero Barlaba, Sharon Puchot Film Review by: Jason Knight A simple barman is asked by a stranger to do a rather unusual favor. Bartender Billy (Brown) is working his shift at a fancy bar. Everything appears normal until he strikes up a conversation with an unknown man in a suit named Mark (Barlaba). The man is impressed by how observant Billy is and asks him to a special favor for him: he wants Billy to have a chat with a woman (Puchot), who is going to come at his bar for a drink. Billy needs to observe her, get as much information as he can from her and report back to Mark. If he does as he is told, he will be rewarded. Billy reluctantly agrees, but things don't go according to plan. Nearly the entire story takes place at the pub's counter. The film begins with normality and the suspense builds up more and more, as the audience is trying to figure out what is going on and who the woman is. The narrative also explores protagonist Billy's lifestyle as a bartender. Although he is not proud of his job, he enjoys working there. Brown plays an everyday man, who has just happened to get himself involved in a situation which he eventually might wish he had stayed away from. Barlaba's character is a cunning and optimistic man, who is willing to take advantage of other people in order to succeed. Puchot is the one who steals the show, as the person the film's plot evolves around. She is a femme fatale. She is intelligent, cool, observant and knows when someone is trying to deceit her. She gives the impression that if one would go against her, they would regret it. Smith does a good job directing, keeping the action at the counter and making effective use of closeups. His script contains interesting characters, well-written dialogue and a plot the viewer will want to follow. The score is rather appropriate, considering the film's tone. It sounds suspenseful and atmospheric. The main strength of Bar Watch is the suspense it creates. Who is that woman? Why is Mark so interested in her? How will things turn out in Billy's mission? These are questions that are worth pursuing. #JasonKnight

★★ Directed by #JeremieGuez Written by #JeremieGuez #PeterDexter Starring #MatthiasSchoenaerts #JoelKinnaman Film Review by Hope Madden It can be tough to find a fresh way to tell a mob story. Brothers By Blood doesn’t bother. Director Jeremie Guez’s film, based on his own adaptation of Peter Dexter’s novel Brotherly Love, offers an intimate look at masculinity, loyalty, faith and redemption through the eyes of two men who are as close as brothers. They’re part of the criminal underground, and one (the brooding, quiet, good one) is worried that the other (the loose cannon) may have gone too far. Like Mean Streets. Like The Drop. Eastern Promises, Casino, Legend. Like a lot of movies. Luckily, Guez has a strong cast with the potential of finding something uniquely human in these characters. Matthias Schoenaerts is the quietly observant Peter, a reasonable man who isn’t proud of what he does but he keeps his head down, his mouth shut, and does the work. Michael (Joel Kinnaman), on the other hand, likes attention. He likes power and respect, and he’s quite sure he isn’t getting enough of either. Kinnaman brings a weaselly quality to Michael that suits him. His best scenes showcase a level of insincere congeniality that really is sometimes chilling. Meanwhile Schoenaerts—a truly talented actor able to disappear into characters—is hamstrung by a role that requires little more than disappointed headshakes, askew glances and sighs. The surrounding ensemble offers opportunities as well. Paul Schneider (nice to see you!) carves out a little authenticity as Jimmy, a restauranteur in over his head. Maika Monroe plays Jimmy’s kid sister Grace. They all grew up together—Jimmy, Michael, Peter and Grace—and now Grace has come back home. Monroe, by the way, is fully twenty years younger than her co-stars, which makes the prospect of a love scene the single creepiest aspect of this film. Talent be damned, Guez can’t find an original thought to explore. Everything about Brothers by Blood feels absolutely garden variety, although competently made. Except for the obligatory flashbacks, which are wedged in so poorly you almost overlook the fairly decent acting going on in them. Mean Streets is $2.99 on Prime right now, by the way. #HopeMadden

★★★ Directed by: #JuniorDay and #EleanorDolan Starring: #TatjanaAnders and #EdwardSaunders Film review by: Brian Penn A film without dialogue places all emphasis on visuals and the power of physicality. The Brass Elephant in the Room does not even allow the luxury of captions so enamoured of the silent movie era. Instead it tells a story with sharp visual transitions that are heavily symbolic and open to suggestion. The first scene presents a Chesterfield sofa, lampshade, table, rug and figurine on a plinth. It looks suspiciously like the GP surgery waiting room to which I was occasionally dragged as a child. A sickly pale faced man (Edward Saunders) gingerly sips a cup of tea. Presently a chandelier comes crashing to the ground. The pieces eventually transform into a woman (Tatjana Anders). Unfazed by this metamorphosis the man utters just one word, ‘Tea?’ (ok strictly speaking I lied about there being no dialogue). The freshly matched couple silently negotiate obstacles and events that seemingly have no connection with reality, time or reason. The film never fails to engage the viewer with its arresting visuals and curiosity stoking playfulness. Many would be quickly frustrated by the piece because it’s such hard work trying to establish what’s happening and why. But drama doesn’t need to be that obvious to be entertaining. The theatre of the mind can sometimes play tricks and take us to places that are new and challenging. The minimal lighting and dark styling can portray a sinister tone but also verge on dry humour (if you choose to read it that way). The film’s title can be furiously misleading; after all an elephant in the room is an obvious problem that people avoid discussing or acknowledging. So what am I missing here that is so obvious and what is the relevance of a brass elephant? This could be far too deep for a simple soul like me; or maybe it doesn’t mean anything at all and they’ve just been playing me all along. Either way it’s a beautifully constructed piece that challenges the distinction between film and art. Wherever the subtleties of that argument lay, this certainly wouldn’t be out of place in an art gallery.

★★★ Directed by #TonyOgunyinka Written by #JdRothRound Starring: #JasonBeeston #JdRothRound Film Review by Matthew Sawyer Morgan Freeman once said in a fairly well known film “How often do you look at a man's shoes?” Well in the case of Faro, quite a lot. This film is a gritty short set within the confines of one interrogation room. Agent Villinski (Roth-Round) interrogates Danny Benson (Beeston) in the hope of gathering information about the infamous Mr Gracey and what he and his organisation are up to. The director Tony Ogunyinka does a very nice job with this film. It delivers a dark tone that is consistent and with interesting dialogue from Roth-Round’s script, it is very similar to something you might find in a Tarantino film. Unfortunately, that is where the similarities end. With a Tarantino film, you know you’re going to get something different and this film does not deliver that. The ending has a decent twist but it shows its hand a bit too early. As soon as the word “shoes” is mentioned you can easily see where the story is going and it does nothing to avert your expectations. Neither of the actors involved give what you’d call a perfect performance. The acting can come across as a bit hammy in places but both Roth-Round and Beeston give good performances for the most part. Roth-Round manages to keep up his accent throughout the film and really sells himself as a no-nonsense agent; we can really feel the frustration as he presses Danny for information. Roth-Round definitely gets the juicier of the parts, but Beeston manages to hold his own and is never over-shadowed in any screen time the pair share together. The film gives us a very nice score, using various instruments throughout to make us feel the different emotions. The cinematographer Henry James Vinten uses the camera well and we are treated to some stunning aerial shots of London right from the very beginning and everything he does serves the story well. Although, the biggest problem with this film is the story, as I mentioned the twist is interesting but then the film just ends. We get no resolution or consequences and you can’t help but think, what was the point of the film? Sure, it’s entertaining enough but no one learns a lesson or finds anything out about themselves. The premise of the film is interesting and location is great but I feel like somewhere there was a better story to tell. #MatthewSawyer

★★★ Directed by: #Mebitek, #JeleRaus Written by: #Mebitek, #JeleRaus Starring: #GiacomoMelis, #MartinChef Short Film Review by: Emily Davison It is 2045, a totalitarian regime has set in, and one ordinary man, Howard (Giacomo Melis) makes a costly decision which will come as a grave cost to him in this dark, dystopian seven minute short film. A Story of Silence (2020), written, directed and produced by Sardinia filmmakers Mebitek and Jele Raus in Italy, is an English language horror/science fiction picture which offers a stylistic and shocking viewing experience, but doesn’t quite hit the mark in delivering on its ambitious narrative concept. Although the film received critical acclaim upon its premiere in 2020, winning awards at the Miami New Media Festival and Rome Art Week, this grim depiction of a pessimistic future provides a chilling commentary on the implication of freedom in the media, but relies on shock value and graphic violence for its main selling points. ‘Ignorance being fought with books and violence’ is the short’s accompanying slogan on the poster, offering a compelling reflection on contemporary Western societies in relation to culture, censorship and individualism. The protagonist, Howard (Melis), makes for a rather unlikeable lead through his overeating, drinking and seeming to waste his days scrolling through social media providing profane criticism. However, he is performed well by Melis, especially during the brutal interrogation/torture sequence which bleakly closes the short. His interrogator, Tyler Darden (Martin Chef), makes for an intimidating, sinister presence as he tortures Howard with no compassion or empathy, his persona downright terrifying as he smiles and hums pleasantly whilst performing the inhumane job. Chef’s performance is certainly one of the most compelling elements of the short, along with the admirable imagination on display and highly stylised filmmaking. The short is directed with a creative flair, often implementing comic book style animation and presenting the story through title cards, orchestrated with a cold filter and fast paced editing which effectively introduces the dystopian setting. Although ambitious and intriguing, the film is often too uncoordinated with many stylistic choices creating a sense of disconnect at times when the impressive visuals sometimes become overbearing and confused. However, the ambient, cinematic score composed by Mebitek, is effective in maintain a sense of energy and curiosity as Howard is leered into a trap, working well with the action scene as he is drugged and kidnapped for interrogation. Although A Story of Silence offers an intelligent and thought-provoking dystopian concept and strong performances, as well as a visually striking aesthetic, the short relies on shock value in its graphic violence and highly stylised presentation for its impact. This is not a film for the light hearted, but many may find enjoyment and engagement in its intriguing concept and effective blend of horror and dystopian elements. #EmilyDavison A Story of Silence (2020) Short Film: