★★ Directed by: #IsobellaHubbard Written by: #RachaelJames Starring: #NiccyLin #RachaelJames Film review by: William Hemingway Dating in the modern world can be a terrifying proposition. Casually swiping through countless pictures and faces to find the person of your dreams, whilst only getting snippets of highly edited information about who they say they are, can seem daunting, especially when everybody else appears to be living their best lives. First approaches are made through a small screen in your hand and tentative love notes are sent through text and messenger servers, usually containing odes like 'send nudes' and 'dick pic to follow'. Everybody's presenting their best side to the camera and it's hard to see round all the angles of just who might be a good match for you. In fact, you may not even be talking to the person you think you are at all – Sally, 28, a nurse from Clacton may well be Bob, 52, a puppy farmer from Aldershot; and while catfishing is probably the most notable trapping of the modern dating scene we must also remember that breadcrumbing, ghosting and wokefishing are all a thing too. So, Winnie (Niccy Lin) has decided to take a leap of faith and has agreed to meet her date Pip (Rachael James) at her place for a more traditional Dinner Date. Even in pre-covid times this would be seen to be a rookie mistake for anyone expecting to get out of there unscathed, but Winnie is a sassy modern woman and she's willing to take her chances. Right from the off though, things do not go as expected, and Winnie must endure the awkwardness of a bad first date as well as the primal advances of a female predator. Pip's motivations are alluded to in the dialogue, though startlingly briefly, and in the end it doesn't take long to see where this is all going – straight to cliché hell. Unsurprisingly, the dinner date set-up is seen to be a rich vein to draw on for fledgling scriptwriters and film-makers. Everybody has their own take on the comedy or horror of the situation and each feel they have individual anecdotes to add which make their vision unique – Spoiler alert: They don't. A quick IMDB search produces results for no less than ten recent films or shorts with the Dinner Date title, the most notable in this instance being the 2015 short by Danny Cotton and the 2010 short by Paul Von Stoetzel, both of which have had the narrative flesh stripped from their bones by this 'new' version. Sadly the clichés also run into the scripting, with dialogue that might have sounded good on the page, in another scenario, being delivered by characters who just can't seem to make the whole thing real. There are heavily stylised one-liners and cripplingly bad taunts that only ring hollow and a glut of dialogue that gets chewed around by strong accents only to be spat out like overdone ham. This is all topped off with a denouement cherry cliché that excludes any sort of repeat viewing. This is all very disappointing as the film itself looks sumptuous and good enough to eat. Director of Photography, Barbra Van Shaik creates a stunning backdrop with glorious lighting effects and a deep, rich feel to the proceedings. Faces fade and pop from the darkness to fill and half-fill the frames while the ever present background stays elusively out of focus. The music too, by Phyllis Ho, puts us In The Mood For Love quite literally by embodying Wong Kar-Wai's romantic classic, especially during the opening sequence. All of this falls by the wayside though as the narrative takes hold and we are served a dish we have eaten a million times before, and which this time leaves us feeling empty.

★★★ Directed by #DougLiman Written by #StevenKnight Starring #AnneHathaway #ChiwetelEjiofor Film Review by George Wolf If you’re gonna be quarantined, you could do worse than being stuck with Anne Hathaway or Chiwetel Ejiofor. They’re both extremely talented and – inexplicable internet hate notwithstanding – easy to like. But in Locked Down, their characters don’t like each other much anymore. In fact, Linda and Paxton were just about to split up when the stay-at-home orders came down. So now he’s been furloughed, she’s been firing people via Skype, and they keep to opposite ends of their (pretty sweet) London townhouse. But fate is a funny thing, and though Paxton thinks it’s long been against him, suddenly he and Linda have the opportunity to steal a priceless diamond from Herrod’s without anyone noticing. In writer Steven Knight’s resume of big ups (Locke) and major downs (Serenity – I mean wtf?) Locked Down is a creamy middle with a pleasant enough aftertaste. Though the dialogue is filled with too-perfect banter and characters who casually drop references to Norse mythology while getting tripped up over “implode” and “explode”, everyone involved seems like their having fun. Expect a couple laugh out loud moments as well, so there’s that. Hathaway and Ejiofor exude effortless charisma, and a parade of cameos (Ben Stiller, Ben Kingsley, Mindy Kaling, Stephen Merchant, Claes Bang) adds to the comfort food feeling. And since this is a true socially distant production, most of those famous faces are seen only on computer screens, with director Doug Liman making sure there are plenty of Zoom glitches and other overdone reminders of our interesting times. But though Liman is best known for action flicks (Edge of Tomorrow, Mr. and Mrs. Smith) this is no Ocean’s Two. The heist is small scale and forgettable fun, but it’s when we’re gently reminded about the things the pandemic hasn’t changed – only revealed – that Locked Down finds a relevant voice. #GeorgeWolf

★★★★★ Directed by #RobinLochmann Written by #RobinLochmann Film Review by Matthew Sawyer Them is an animated film from the incredibly talented Robin Lochmann. The story focuses on depicting abuse of power in totalitarian societies, in a way that anyone can understand. In a black and white world just the striking visual of a gold person is enough to make everyone want to follow suit, but as we know from James Bond’s Goldfinger, it’s not a good idea. As we are well aware, in the real world, once one dangerous person is put in charge, people will follow and violence is sure to ensue. The cinematography for this film was done by Mika Ceron and is on another level. Right from the opening few seconds we are introduced to this black, white and grey almost war torn world but with a rich golden river running through. Every part of this film could be easily put on a canvas and hung on a wall. The design of the animation is incredibly unique. We follow these faceless people but yet we feel every emotion, you get a real sense of the amount of work that has gone into this film from the amount of detail in every scene, for example every house we see is dilapidated and looks well lived in. As the characters speak in an unrecognisable ‘language’, the music has a lot of work to do. Thomas Moked Blum’s stunning score rises to this challenge and perfectly sets the tone for the film. It is used amazingly in the battle scenes and the sound design makes you feel every blow. Everyone who was part of this project really pulls their weight. I can’t wait to see what they all do next. The film grapples with issues such as racism, dictatorship and war. There are so many messages packed into this film and that’s why it hits you as hard as it does. I think twenty people watching this film in a room would all come away with a different view about its meaning and that’s what makes great art. Lochmann delivers a beautiful film and a type of short that I have never seen before. Directing, writing and producing; he has proven himself to be someone to watch. I can’t wait to see what he does next. If you get a chance to watch this film I would highly recommend you take it. The most important message I take away from this film is that inside, we are all the same. #MatthewSawyer

★★★★ Directed by: Stephen Cognetti Written by: Stephen Cognetti Starring: Joy Shatz, Danny Bellini, Adam Schneider and Vasile Flutur Film Review by: Rachel Pullen Hell House: Part 2 Movie Review Curiosity killed the cat, right? We all know that and yet we still tend to make stupid choices based on curiosity alone and then lament on our choices when they go wrong...so what's the answer? Perhaps, don't be dumb, don't make the same mistake again and again...yeah none of that is applicable to the people who are visiting Hell House in this decent sequel. Here we are again, group of young red-blooded Americans, ready to try and make a quick buck of the Hell House legacy, a hotel full of demons and evil, of reported ghosts and murders...sure let’s go in, what a great idea. These young guns are ready to try and uncover the story behind all of the disappearances that have taken places within the hotel’s walls, and after watching a televised segment on the hotel’s history, they track down one of the survivors from the first instalment in order to help them uncover and document their trip. But of course, nothing goes to plan, it never does when you enter a hotel supposedly full of evil and clowns, and it’s not long before the hotel is up to its old tricks...hey what's that, a shadow? Oh no just a cloaked hell beast, no biggie, let’s go in that basement where everyone died, classic times. Yet, this time there is a new chum to play with, for amongst all the clowns and ghouls, there is the spirit of a former owner, one who is hell-bent on getting people into the hotel so he can build his army of souls for some fun ''lake of fire'' party he wants to throw. Hell House: Part 2 builds a bigger picture; we learn a lot more about how the hotel came to be so god damn evil, and amongst all the spooky goings-on, we are invited into a deep history surrounding not just the hotel but why so many people are drawn to it. This may sound like a simple factor but when you think about it...no it’s not, not a lot of films, especially horror movies, give us an explanation as to why characters make stupid mistakes based on curiosity, we just kind of accept that horror flicks have stupidity sewn into the characters in order to create a platform for them to be killed. But Hell House teaches us that the place is going out of its way to draw people in, it teases the curiosity out of its so-called guests, toying with them from outside its perimeter, almost twisting their arm to give in and go against their sensible instincts to just stay away. Hell House: Part 2 offers up less in the way of scares but more in the way of character development for the building itself, not unlike The Shining, the main star of the movie is the hotel, and everyone else in the film is simply there to help it grow. And before you all start screaming at me, yes the clown is still there, being super sexy as always, and although he did have some screen time, I personally needed more, I mean I barely felt any need to buy his Avon products this week, I'm deeply hoping that it will change in Hell House: Part 3 (coming soon to UK Film Review), in fact I hope the whole film is just about the clown trying to make sales to all the demons by applying moisturisers on his pale skin. So what can we take away from the Hell House franchise this week? Hotels are people Curiosity is for losers And clowns have exceptionally soft well-moisturised skin... Bon viewing. #RachelPullen Like horror movies? Watch free horror films.

Star rating (out of 5): ★★★ Directed by: #JDRothRound Written by: #JDRothRound Starring: #JDRothRound, #JohnCraggs, #DionJones Jones Film Review by: Julian Gaskell Iso-Pocalyptis is a psychological horror from J D Roth-Round, available to watch on the UK Film Channel. All shot on a Samsung Smartphone in a month for less than £300, it's a micro-budget lockdown movie that he wrote, filmed and stars in. J D Roth-Round has an interesting film and family history to boot. He’s appeared in several major studio movies himself, his great aunt won the Wimbledon ladies title and his grandfather was a member of the magic circle and was a dentist – something that has quite an influence on one of the film’s scenes mentioned herein. Set in a typical built up suburban area in the UK, Daniel Fuller (J D Roth Round) returns home from being away abroad to find his house in a mess and discovers his wife and kid are dead. We don’t know how this has happened or why the house is in such a state of derelict neglect (apart from making an ideal location for a low budget film) but it’s the trigger for Daniel to go into meltdown. Fuelled by alcohol, his emotional trauma is causing his movements to quickly become erratic throughout the day and he starts hallucinating too, mostly in the form of creepy crawly bugs. Momentarily he makes an attempt at getting the house and himself straighten out and whilst he tries to keep to a good routine of cleaning, exercising, going outside and reading, he can’t seem to get away from his alcohol and smoking addiction or make burial arrangements for his wife and child for that matter either, which with the self-isolation is having a bad impact on his deteriorating psychological well-being. With his continued bouts of paranoia he begins to self-harm. His face continually contorts with tension and mental torment and the continual build-up of erratic-edginess reaches a climactic crescendo when without reason he decides to remove one of his lovely teeth with a pair of pliers. Intermittently he swigs on a bottle of vodka before muttering to himself afterwards as the blood pours out of his mouth ‘nurse, the anaesthetisation did not work’ – hopefully this was not drawing upon one of his grandfather’s anecdotes. The filming starts with a first person camera view, which combined with a selfie camera rig (which he made himself from a mop handle and selfie stick) gives an immersive feeling as we follow Daniel’s movements around the house, all this combined with the opening credits gives a clear clue as to the films premise that remains otherwise unmentioned until the gruesome end. The sound mix is unsettling throughout, heightening the mental distress and there are some nice music tracks interwoven into the film but they don’t all necessarily match the mood. Offering a sense of smooth melancholic optimism that is in total contrast to the chaotic and upsetting carry-on. As an indie movie clearly inspired by lockdown with a nod to the mundane frustrations, boredom and monotony at best, along with the mental health problems associated with being in isolation, heavy drinking and dealing with trauma; all taken here to the extreme and given a horror film touch that is not without some craft and skill especially considering the limitations of the budget, resources and timeframe. It is an uncomfortable watch in its own painful repetition that is both disturbing and frightening in its message that could raise a psychotic wry smile about the UK’s lockdown condition.

★★★ Directed by #VincentParonnaud Written by #VincentParonnaud #LeaPernollet Starring #LucieDebay #AriehWorthalter Film Review by Hope Madden It’s hard to tell a new story. People have been telling stories since the beginning of people, and eventually – probably millennia ago – we realized we were just recycling the same dozen or so tales. This week’s Shudder premiere, director Vincent Paronnaud’s Hunted, feels especially familiar. He knows that, presumably, or the woman being chased through a massive forest wouldn’t be wearing a red hooded coat. It’s clear in every aspect of the telling of this story that the filmmaker (and a team of writers including Paronnaud, Lea Pernollet and David H. Pickering) want you to understand how familiar this is. Indeed, Paronnaud’s tale of a man chasing a woman is so ordinary that no matter how outlandish the circumstances, onlookers barely register it as more than a moment’s blip in their day. Hunted opens with a fairy tale, spun by fireside in a deep, dark woods, of a group of men who turn on a woman. In this ancient lore, things don’t turn out so well for the men, not because a savior steps in but because of something more primal. And so, eons later, the aptly named Eve (Lucie Debay) is dealing with a boss who underestimates her and a husband who can’t stop calling. She goes out for a drink. That might have been the last we ever heard from Eve. Instead, after a series of events that escalate beyond the point of realism to something bordering on the absurd, the whole damn forest hears her. Debay’s transformation is also marked very obviously and very visually, underscoring the cartoonish nature of this particular enactment. She does a wonderful job of evolving from something in Act 1 that feels garden variety for horror into something surprising and fierce. Arieh Worthalter equals her as the psychopath, often lensed to give him the look of an animated wolf charming villagers. Paronnaud’s background is in animation—he co-directed Marjane Satrapi’s sublime black and white wonder Persepolis. His move to horror benefits from his visual flair. While the red coat stands out as an obvious nod (not to mention terrible camouflage), a later splash of blue feels simultaneously insane and warrior-like. Or a fresh coat of paint. #HopeMadden

★★★ Directed by: #AnkitSingha Written by: #AnkitSingha Starring: #ManindraNarayanSarkar #HomagniBhattacharjee Film review by: Patrick Foley Depending on where you are in the world, you’re now between 8-12 months on from your country’s first wave of COVID. And if you’re lucky (unlike your UK-based reviewer) you have only had to experience one full-blown lockdown. No matter where you are though there is one wave that we are all experiencing at the exact same time – the wave of introspective lockdown-filmed short movies. Shilpi is one such film, which makes admirable efforts to stand out but spends too long getting to its message to leave a real impact. Shilpi is set during India’s COVID lockdown. It is the story of Abir (Homagni Bhattacharjee) and his uncle Hiresh (Manindra Narayan Sakar) as they cohabitate a small apartment whilst the world is at a halt. Abir is a college student with big dreams, who views his senior uncle as decrepit and elderly despite the high regard he holds him personally. As they are forced together through circumstance, Abir’s perception of his uncle, as well as his own view of artistic attainment, is developed and reshaped into a profound understanding of the world. Shilpi is an experimental and innovative attempt add comment on the current pandemic, whilst also addressing wider and deeper questions on relationships between ‘artists’ and those who teach them art. It attacks these questions with a varying degree of success. The film is long and drawn out, with little dialogue between the 2 main characters. This does create an interesting dynamic and effectively portrays the mental barriers that exists between them, but it is frankly not very interesting to watch. Director Ankit Singha is wise to restrict the film to a shade over 50 minutes to maintain this vision, which allows the movies unique style to crescendo at the perfect time without overstaying its welcome. The acting is superb and both Homagni Bhattacharjee and Manindra Narayan Sakar give authentic and moving performances. Both men bring a quiet physicality to their roles, and the added innovations such as a pang of fear to their faces as the other man splutters or coughs will feel close to home for any viewer. Performed in Bengali, non-native speakers will lose nothing as so much of the story is told through these slight interactions. If anything, it is they who suffer the most from the film’s shorter running time as more characterisation would be welcome. The film is shot in 1:1 aspect ratio and there is a graininess to the texture of the shot – as though we are witnessing a private home movie. Such choices are always a risk and could have doomed the project to ‘gimmick’ territory, but thankfully Singha’s choice pays off. The result instead is a more intimate and personal experience that fits well with the film’s themes of connection and bonds that keep us together. Shilpi is unlikely to blow anyone away, and suffers from too long of a wait before really addressing its key themes. This could be a fatal flaw for a film under the hour mark, but innovative filmmaking and strong performances make it a worthwhile watch.

★★★★ Written & Directed by: #OliverWard Starring: #MatthewKenny, #SebSlade, #GraceAntoniouPhillips, #PenaIiyambo, #LewHogan Short Film Review by Taryll Baker The final days in the hometown come to a close for a group of mischievous friends; leaving Jonty alone. So if there’s the coming of age film, Promenade is the “growing” of age. Departing for bigger things, breaking from a tight-nit gang of friends, splitting off to achieve the thing we call life. And most of the time, there’s an individual who doesn’t feel like change. This time of their life was their highest point, and nothing ahead seems clear. In this film’s case, Jonty is that individual. He’s enjoying the final days with his group of teenage friends, as they speak of what’s to come beyond, but he doesn’t feel quite as energised by the idea. I’m familiar with this feeling because, well, I’m a little like Jonty. The feeling of people leaving you behind, setting huge goals to reach, accolades to earn. But you’re left to figure yourself out. It doesn’t get much easier and you never really feel confident in what lies ahead, but you keep going because that’s the precious thing about life; it’s unpredictable. Promenade places all focus on the final parties and football kick-abouts, with banter and laughs between the group of friends. As a viewer, witnessing a pretty realistic portrayal of young men and women just being in each others company. The characters are well textured, and though not massively interesting, it’s enough to latch onto. All of the performances, bar one or two side characters, are superb for a short like this. It’s on the borderline of cheap and pricey, right in the middle. The cinematography reflects something like Trainspotting, perhaps not just due to shot choices, but the thematic material also. Some of the angles can be slightly jarring, just how some characters are placed in the frame, but I think it could be more of a stylistic approach, more so than an overlook. It has a very messy but contained look and feel, like it’s been tampered with but creases just smoothed out enough. The soundtrack to Promenade adds a nice layer of character. The party scenes feel energetic, and the softer moments complimented well. There isn’t much happening in Ward’s new short film, but it was approached and tackled with care and it’s quite a mature piece. Promenade invites you into the lives of teenagers as they bid farewell to the antics, and move on out into the world. It was something I quite enjoyed seeing documented, even if it was something I’d seen before. Watch the trailer for Promenade below. #TaryllBaker

★★★★ Directed by: Blake Ridder Written by: Blake Ridder Starring: Emily Redpath, Sarah Alexandra Marks, Louis James, Blake Ridder Film Review by: Jason Knight A young woman visits her friend, who lives with her boyfriend in the countryside. She discovers that something is seriously wrong. Grace (Redpath) has just split up with her boyfriend and decides to visit her friend Liv (Marks), who she has not seen in a while. Liv is residing in a house, in the countryside with her boyfriend Edward (James). At first everything seems normal, but as the story progresses it becomes evident that something sinister is going on. Help begins as a drama, then becomes a psychological thriller, with elements of horror. Grace picks up more and more clues that reveal trouble in that household, such as finding some blood here and there, hearing commotion at night and suspecting that someone might be watching the house. The suspense and tension builds up more and more, until things finally culminate in a heart-stopping climax. This feature explores themes of domestic violence, adultery, friendship, relationships and revenge. It contains an engaging plot, interesting characters, many scenes of confrontation, nail-biting moments and the audience will be very keen to know how things are going to turn out. There are conversations that describe sexual experiences in detail and a sex scene. There is also a considerable amount of violence and gore. The acting is terrific, creating great scenes and character development. Redpath, Marks and James do a fantastic job in bringing their characters' emotions to life, building drama and tension. Director Ridder himself is rather convincing as David, a socially awkward neighbor. Ridder does a wonderful job as director, producing wonderful establishing shots. Ruth Chan's music successfully supports the tone of the film. The score is atmospheric, tender and tense. Credit also goes to the makeup artists, who create wounds that look realistic and grotesque. Ridder has made a picture worthy of a great deal of praise and recognition. His screenplay is filled with interesting characters, well-written dialogue and unexpected plot twists. The suspense will grab the viewer's attention and keep them guessing until the end. #JasonKnight Trailer:

★★★★★ Directed By: #SteveBright Written By: #AmandaBright Starring: #AmandaBright #AmitShah #PearlMackie #AdjoaAndoh #DavidNewman #DoreeneBlackstock #KerryHoward #CharityWakefield #JosephFletcher #OryzBrown #VinegarStrokes Short Film Review by: #ChrisBuick “Inspired by, and made possible by the Coronavirus pandemic and the national lockdown it precipitated in the UK”, The Lennox Report might be one of the most joyous, uplifting and poignant pieces of indie filmmaking to come out of this strange and unpredictable situation yet. While on a Whoosh call discussing an urgent impending deal, Kayla (Bright) and Mark (Shah) are asked to team up to get the all-important Lennox report over the line after their supervisor is suddenly taken ill and dismissed from the project. Their working together all the time then causes their friendship to blossom in unexpected ways, and also causes Kayla to evaluate some of the other aspects of her life. As much as Zoom and other technological miracles have very much been our saviours in a lot of ways since the pandemic struck, for some filmmakers they still present limitations that can be hard to overcome. Not here though! The Lennox Report, above all else, is simply a fine example of how filmmakers can in fact overcome the greatest obstacles to still create something top-class. Considering both its financial and logistical restrictions, what husband and wife dream team Steve and Amanda Bright have achieved here is remarkable, an extremely well put together project that shows at all times on the screen. From building sets and dressing rooms to creating their own onomatopoeic conference call software, its production values speak to an inspired level of ingenuity, hard work and determination to make their film look and feel as good as it possibly could. Which it really does. But not only is it a beautiful film to look at, but also to watch in terms of storytelling, with so much more going on underneath the already compelling love story at its front and centre. What Kayla and Mark’s relationship means to Kayla in particular is not simply romance, it’s a spark she didn’t know she had been waiting for, a woman incredibly unsure of herself both in appearance and identity as a black woman (a lack of self-belief exacerbated by her slightly toxic inner circle), but over the course of the film her budding relationship with Mark suddenly stirs an awakening where she really starts to accept herself, and the way the film elegantly touches on some of the real conversations Bright was having at the time around the Black Lives Matter movement gives the film an even deeper meaning still. And this delightfully charming tale of distant lovers is driven unerringly by a pair of leads who one could not possibly root for more. Kayla is the one we see more texture and depth to, with Bright able to go through all the gears back and forth as we see Kayla struggling with her insecurities but then really blossoming and coming to life when she is talking to Mark, who is so awkwardly adorable and played so gracefully by Shah. And while Kayla’s friends may be kind of the worst people, each of the cast of those particular characters brings something a little different and interesting to the piece to really fill out Kayla’s world, but a special mention must be given to Pearl Mackie who as Kayla’s only really helpful friend Tarnia is astounding in her incredibly profound monologue that might actually be the highlight of the piece. The Lennox Report may be a film made and inspired by the pandemic, but more importantly is exactly the kind of film we need to help us all get through it. Brilliant. #ChrisBuick Watch The Lennox Report now on Youtube

★★★★ Directed by: Ambrose Smoke Written by: Ambrose Smoke Starring: Lauren Engels, Jonathon Sawdon, Benita Katende, Paula Isiegas Film Review by: Jason Knight Angie (Engels) is intelligent, hardworking and determined. She got a job at a well-established corporation and is doing very well. However, in order to move up the career ladder, she must first overcome an obstacle. The story begins with Angie having the job interview for that company. Her interviewer aggressively questions her until she convinces him that she is the right candidate. A while later, having impressed her boss (Sawdon) with her work, she is given the task of presenting a report to the board, which she does with success. Her boss then plans to promote her to Global Head of Sales, discreetly requesting that she gets rid of the large mole she has on her forehead first. She then goes to extreme measures in order to do so. This short starts of as a comedy drama and then turns into a psychological thriller. The plot focuses on the life of an individual, who refuses to give up and is willing to achieve her goals. It explores the injustice and cruelty a person must sometimes face due to their physical appearance and how badly this affects them. The script contains interesting characters and dialogue and rather tense situations. Engels does a very good job as the protagonist. She portrays a strong and successful person, living in a fancy apartment, who now has to find a solution if she wants to move forward with her career. Sawdon is convincing as her boss, an intelligent man, who takes drugs and is unfair in his decision not to promote Angie due to her appearance. Angie finds support and compassion in her friend Becca (Katende), who looks at the bright side of things. The music is rather interesting, with sounds of piano and flute. There is also a tense scene that is appropriately accompanied by the sound of a heart beating. The filmmakers make effective uses of voice-over and montage sequences. There is a rather well executed sequence that includes superimposition and point of view shots that gives an idea regarding how Angie feels when people point out her mole. It should be noted that there are also nasty and distressing scenes that involve blood and self-injury. The Mole tells a story about the injustices of being treated differently due to one's appearance and the effects this might have on them. It provides an interesting and thoughtful experience. #JasonKnight Trailer:

★★★ Directed by #RobertCuffley Written by #SusieMaloney Starring #SiobhanWilliams #MichaelEklund #AgamDarshi Film Review by Hope Madden No one looks forward to the consequences of their actions. If you believe in God, they’re coming for you one way or the other. Robert Cuffley’s latest economically made horror Bright Hill Road shadows no-longer-functioning alcoholic Marcy (Siobhan Williams) through a pretty bad stretch. It would be hard to imagine things getting any worse, really. So, Marcy decides to drive across country to spend some time with her sister Mia in California. She doesn’t drive straight through, though. She wakes up in her car in front of a pretty dodgy looking hotel in some forgotten little town and finds herself checking in. The place is super weird, though, and Marcy’s never sure if she’s hallucinating, drying out, or seeing and hearing ghosts. Most of the time Bright Hill Road works—playing on your guesswork without giving away all its secrets. Sometimes it does not work. But the film lives and dies with Siobhan Williams’s performance. Slight but scrappy, she takes on the image of Angela Bettis or Elliot Page. You worry for her, believe in both her vulnerability and the chip on her shoulder that might get her through it. She’s weary but spirited and more than anything, she’s in denial. Cuffley’s direction takes on a hallucinatory quality that suits Susie Maloney’s trippy script. Both Act 1 and Act 3 feel rushed—the opening bit of violence shocks you out of complaining, but the final moments border on being unearned. Still, the meat of the film meanders at a creepy pace, one that conjures the feeling of a bad dream. Bright Hill Road has an intentional, low rent Overlook quality to it—something both supernatural and seedy. It carries its own internal logic, and while the toughest eruptions of violence hit us in the film’s opening moments, it has some grim images to share as the hotel takes on additional guests. Cuffley doesn’t break a lot of new ground, but his is an appealing riff on a familiar tune. Most of our demons are within. Trauma takes on an even more sinister form when it’s mixed up with shame. Addiction is its own monster. No one likes a shared bathroom. #HopeMadden