Directed by: Keene McRae Written by: Kristoffer McMillan, Keene McRae, Lane Thomas Starring: Kristoffer McMillan, Lane Thomas, Keene McRae, Austin Hébert, Christine Donlon, Jacqueline Toboni, Brandon Sklenar, Kelley Mack Grimmfest Feature by: Darren Tilby Synopsis: Two years ago, William Langston made a mistake that would affect the course of his life. Now, with a killer loose in his home town and his circle of friends falling away one at a time, William faces his greatest fears as well as his own mortality. Grimmfest say: A once-successful writer, reeling from personal tragedy and afflicted by writer's block tries to reconnect with his roots, only to discover that Thomas Wolfe was right: You really can't go home again. Keene McRae, Kristoffer Thomas and Lane Thomas reinvent the serial killer drama as an elliptical exploration of memory, loss, and small-town inertia, as much interested in creating a palpable sense of place and in the various directionless, listless lives of the supporting characters as with the protagonist's fraught journey of self-discovery and damnation. Fragmented and non-linear, letting the various pieces of the narrative and the connections between them slot together gradually, it plays like the film Terrence Malick might make were he ever to branch out into horror, with the focus on moments of tactile sensation proving particularly – and very uncomfortably – effective during some surprisingly visceral and disturbing scenes of violence and cruelty. A chilling study in jealousy and revenge, shot with a low-key naturalism that makes the gradual tightening of the noose around its protagonist all the more horrifying, this is an impressively bleak, bone-chilling, and genuinely haunting film. What I'm expecting: With its subject of someone returning to their roots after a personal tragedy, only to be welcomed by inescapable and impending doom, leading to "disturbing scenes of violence", Shot in the Dark (for me)draws immediate comparisons to Ari Aster's Hereditary, and to a lesser extend, Midsommar. Shot in the Dark needs to be steadily paced throughout, as with any film like this, give away too much too early, or allow things to happen too quickly and the film can soon become a vapid and tedious affair. A lot of what Grimmfest has to say, though, is very encouraging: the "low-key naturalism", the graduality of its happenings, the referencing of Terrence Malick and its final description as a "haunting film" are all very promising signs that this will be a big success. I'm very much looking forward to seeing what Kristoffer McMillan, Keene McRae and Lane Thomas bring to this popular sub-genre of horror. Credit: Shot In The Dark is now available on UK digital, courtesy of Reel 2 Reel Films

★★★ Director: #GulinozJavodova Starring: #RachelFinninger, #OrlandoClintonJr. Short Film Review by: #JackCameron A Shot in the Dark, directed by Gulinoz Javodova (who wrote the script with Tony Glynn) presents a story that we have seen many times before; a young and talented artist who is on the cusp of beginning the star-studded career they’ve always dreamed about. A structure more commonly known as The Hero’s Journey (a character sets out and is ultimately changed by the experience), it’s a story that we always seem to love. Unfortunately this time round we are let down by quite a poor script. Isa (Rachel Finninger) is our protagonist, a budding new photographer who dreams of being a DOP in Hollywood. Isa is introduced looking at photographs (taken by “noobs”) of projects that she dismisses as “pretentious” (while artfully sucking on a cigarette) while she seems convinced her successful future is pretty much guaranteed and will be much better. Her assistant Kyle (Orlando Clinton Jr.) goes out of his way to help her, seemingly amazed that he gets to be in her company and is allowed to flirt with her. Rather than showing us someone who deserves greater things in the future we see someone who is trying to disown her present as it’s beneath her. It’s an odd and unsympathetic place to begin for a character on this journey. This is saved by two brilliant performances from the leads. Both Finninger and Clinton Jr. deliver the clunky dialogue with more weight than script gives them, while also silently conveying a deeper, unvoiced emotion in their faces. It elevates what were two caricatures to two people with depth, complexity and (especially in the case of Isa) vulnerability. Which is lucky, because the film is about to offer a twist; Isa is going blind. Obviously the idea of losing your sight, especially at the young age of the characters, is devastating but the film doesn’t appear to be saying much more than this. Again the script lets us down; in the first two minutes Isa explains the value of our senses and how we take them for granted, while the following ten minutes shows Isa losing her sight. The film’s message therefore feels a little on the nose but also more than a little confused because it’s narrative is more concerned with showing us the effects of someone losing their art rather than their senses; Isa appears distracted and disconnected from her colleagues; she snaps at Kyle; she stands motionless on set while the camera pulls away from her showing the busy world flashing by; and eventually she ends up in her nightmare job taking cheap portraits at a strip mall. This all leaves an odd taste in the mouth because it is unclear whether we are to feel sorry for a character that has to work a job she once thought beneath her or because a future has been cruelly taken away by a twist of fate. Either way A Shot In The Dark just leaves Isa stuck in a dead end. The script may be subverting the tropes of the Hero’s Journey but in its execution it does not leave a satisfying ending. However whatever the conclusion the film is trying to give us, the real problem is the story isn’t making any obvious point here, in fact, it achieves little more than giving us a “what-if?” scenario – what if you suddenly went blind? And we probably already know that that would be pretty awful.

Directed and Written by: Noah Baumbach Based on the novel by Dom Delillo Starring: Adam Driver, Greta Gerwig, Raffey Cassidy Film Review by Robert Stayte Dom Delillo’s novels are the definition of unfilmable, to the point to where the most major adaptation of a book of his, Cosmopolis, was considered to be strange and polarising even by director David Cronenberg’s standards. The latest director to try and adapt it is Noah Baumbach, fresh off the acclaimed Marriage Story and a man known for grounded comedy dramas trying to tackle a set of different genres within both a familiar relationship drama story and a social commentary/disaster story. The result is certainly his weirdest film but an interesting one. In 1983, midwestern town professor Jack (Adam Driver) and his family including wife Babette (Greta Gerwig) are forced out of their home once an accident that creates a toxic waste cloud occurs. Within this drama, Jack must confront issues regarding both his fear of death and his wife’s personal drama. From the beginning, it’s clear that whilst Noah might have made changes to the book’s narrative, the offbeat language and tone has been retained, not to mention the generally unconventional structure. The central themes are death and how we deal with it, the concept of impending doom and trying to control your life. It’s a thoughtful film with a lot on its mind and the culmination is unexpected but interesting, even ending with credits that in any other movie might seem very out of place but here actually fit. The dialogue takes a bit of getting used to but becomes generally understandable and not so unnatural that it made the characters unrelatable. The structure/genre handling of the film might divide people as it’s admittedly scattershot. The opening and third act have little to do with the toxic waste situation directly, the connection is more thematic and situational without a direct link. But given how the personal drama is threaded all throughout, it is not a big issue when that comes centre stage. Plus, there’s a few different genres played with, but the film is never incoherent in its genre mixing as it’s understandable how it flows from one to the next. The structure is also fairly clear too and there’s only a few scenes that in hindsight could have been cut even if they were fine in the moment. Mainly a couple of moments that feel like non-sequiturs in the grand scheme. Baumbach’s direction is the real star, as the film has excellent editing and sound mixing that makes the movie both engagingly weird and often tense. Any flow the film has is very much helped by the approach Baumbach brings and he does well in creating the panic and fear of the cloud scare as well as the moments of thriller/horror. The scene that shows the accident happening utilises great and powerful crosscutting and there are a lot of other scenes where the editing and direction brings them to life. The acting is pretty good too, they deliver this strange dialogue naturally and bring these characters down to earth. They are hard roles to play, but Driver’s grounded and humanising portrayal of Jack makes a sometimes-frustrating character not overbearing. Same goes for Greta who in one confession scenes especially shows that she is still a valuable actress despite her switch to directing. All in all, White Noise is an interesting career choice for Baumbach that might not be general audience friendly but is successful at conveying its thematic points with a deft technical hand, creating an experience that you do not usually get with a film. Chaotic but worthwhile.

★★★ Directed by: #MatthewKyleLevine Starring: #AlexScarlatos, #TateKenney, #SheaGlasheen, #TimothyJCox Short Film Review by: Alexandra James Henry is a short film following one man’s journey to self-discovery. Henry is a simple and naïve young man who is completely unsure of himself and unable to determine what he truly wants in life. The story is confusing and curious in a lot of places due to the narrative not having a clear linear movement of events, the story is fragmented, and the audience are compelled to piece together bit by bit the full picture to understand the character himself. Henry is an obscure short film which explores the psyche of our lead character and his voyage across the desert. The film begins with images of Las Vegas at night, it is vibrant and colourful, full of bright lights but also a city which holds many sins. Henry travels towards the city and is staying at the Planet Hollywood hotel alone. He is instantly established as a lonely and fragile character, his presence throughout the film is awkward and he seems uncomfortable within his own skin. There are no character interactions which are face to face, instead we are fed information though phone calls. We discover that Henry has a fiancé which seems like a disjointed relationship as soon after the call, Henry dabbles in the Vegas escort services made available to him. His timid nature and innocence to the whole scenario was extremely apparent and the audience wonder what this character wants out of life, is it marriage or the bachelor lifestyle? Both seem completely out of character for him. Soon, our protagonist ventures out to the desert to find what he truly needs in life. Again, more phone calls are made but this time from his father who seems almost disappointed to hear his son’s voice. Another piece of the puzzle falls into place, as the audience listen in and determine the dynamics within their troubled relationship. With no phone signal or water, the trip turns into a sinister expedition across the dry, remote desert. Henry becomes disorientated and desperate to escape. His journey to find himself becomes a challenge of survival, stripped away of all luxuries, Henry wanders aimlessly whilst the calls of his family echo throughout the scene. This was an unusual short film as it was difficult to predict the overall message of this short. However, the story left a lot of room for interpretation and allowed the audience to digest the characters and their peculiar personalities, as well as shape out their path and purpose within the film.

★★★ Directed by: #SnehaKarar and #SouranilSingha Starring: #DebopriyoSadhukhan Short Film Review by: Alexandra James Insane is an interesting short film which leaves the audience in the dark for a large majority of the narrative. The film begins in the back streets of India, the camera slowly moving though the small alleyways, highlighting the poverty of the neighbourhood. This was crucial to note as it helps us to understand a little more about the character and his day-to-day life. This short film acts as a confession video for a young boy called Bijit Bhattacharya, a timid quiet man who has endured a lot of hardship. Now, he is finally revealing to the world these sufferings and exposes a dark secret… We are soon presented with our main character, but his face is hidden as he takes his time to prepare some tea and listen to the radio. The process of him preparing the tea is slow, detailed, and methodical, as if he were stalling and making every minute of this moment count. Bijit shuffles to another room and sets up a camera to record himself. This is the first time the audience are fully exposed to the characters appearance. The constant buzzing of a fly echoes throughout the room, yet the character is unbothered by the noise and proceeds to carry on with his confession, taking big gulps of his tea as he speaks. With just 30% battery power left on the camera, Bijit shares his story. His voice and demeanour reveal no emotion, he looks cold and distant, as if incapable of forming any kind of connection with the audience or for whoever comes across this tape. Our protagonist begins to tell his traumatic story to the camera, he has no job and never truly exceled in education, a girlfriend who has left him and is now married to another man, his father’s business is unsuccessful, and a stroke has left him bedridden. Bijit’s life is a series of misfortunes, completely deprived of any form of kindness or good fortune in life. Actor Debopriyo Sadhukhan portrays this empty shell of a man, emotionless because of the brutalities of his life causing him to have this hard exterior which made it very difficult for the audience to foresee the climactic end for Bijit which seems to be brooding in the background. I will not uncover the dramatic twist to the story, but it was one which I did not expect and gave this short that shock factor it needed. However, this revelation was introduced quite late meaning the short was extremely slow in pace and made it difficult at times to remain invested in the story and character. Regardless, it was the dramatic end which pushes you to look back on the character’s movements and manner to then realise that all was not as it seemed to be from the very start.

★★★★ Directed by: #SamTurner Starring: #DanielAllen, #StephanieHoutman, #KaineBuffonge Short Film Review by: Alexandra James Point Five is not your ordinary drug fuelled drama, in fact, I don’t think it is like any underground dealing film you have seen before! This is a comedic short but with a very crucial message to take home, and that is the importance of recycling and taking care of the environment. Yes, that’s right, drug dealers care about the environment too! There should be more people like our dealer Liam played by Kaine Buffonge…but perhaps, minus the drugs aspect of his lifestyle. This was an innovative short film, which although was a ridiculous premise, it opened our eyes to the changes we need to make in our lives to make a difference and to act fast to save our planet. A cheesy but hilarious film which makes you laugh, think, and hopefully become part of a new movement. The film starts with a couple getting ready to leave for a night out when they suddenly realise, they need a little extra something to keep them going for the night. However, neither seem confident in going to ‘collect,’ so it is left to Ben (Daniel Allen) a seemingly straight-up kind of guy and complete fish out of water when it comes to dodgy dealings. He is desperate to impress his extremely demanding girlfriend and must falsify this cocky behaviour to get him through this deal. The pair wait in an empty underground car park for their dealer, he approaches them already aggressive. However, this hostile attitude becomes undermined when he screams at the couple for not paying the extra 10p for the bag! The electric car, charge for the plastic bag and e-receipts makes this drug dealer unlike any other that may prowl the streets of London. This is a dealer with morals, one who prioritises the state of the earth over your high. He is a drug dealer we can all stand behind…in terms of his message to raise awareness rather than his produce of course. This was an unexpected deal which turned out to be a bizarre but fantastically humorous in all the right places. The acting was on point for Kaine Buffonge, he did not break character especially when the deal began to get more ludicrous by the second. He remained poised and kept up the ‘big man’ act throughout this piece, which in turn added to the hilarity of the scene. The chemistry between Faith and Ben could have been improved slightly, in terms of the way they bounced off each other, there were times where they were awkward around each other. However, there seemed to be a better reaction between Liam and Ben and their responses to each other so that helped to drive the comedic element within the film. Point Five highlights to the audience an important message but uses comedy to spread this word and if anything, this message is now likely to stick with you to make a change.

★★★ Directed by: #OmarCook Starring: #AdonisArmstrong, #JessieReeder, #GentelSharrie, #OmarCook Short Film Review by: Alexandra James Scandalouz begins by introducing our main character Marcus, a highflyer at his law firm and is soon to make junior partner. He is cocky, confident, and egotistical, able to get away with anything. His wife takes care of him and his home, making sure he is loved and appreciated. However, Marcus has his own separate life, and chooses to sleep with a colleague just because he can. His complete lack of empathy and disregard for his wife and the life they built together, feeds into this fantasy which he has conjured that he is practically invincible. However, things begin to slowly crumble as his wife discovers his dirty secret and suddenly his world begins to fall before him. At the beginning of the scene Marcus, played by Adonis Armstrong, is dressing himself after spending the evening with his co-worker Stacy (Gentle Sharrie) who proceeds to throw herself at Marcus by brushing his ego and putting him on a pedestal, only encouraging his poor behaviour and making him believe he is unstoppable. His wife, Kayla, rings Marcus and asks when he will be home, with a dinner made and a beautiful, well-kept home to return to, one might wonder why Marcus chooses to dabble in infidelity and ignore Kayla’s sweet gestures and love. Marcus is a character who clearly wants to fit the part of a ‘big time lawyer,’ and decides to cheat because it matches that image of a successful and wealthy lawyer, a person that needs to have it all until his greediness comes back to bite him. It is not long before Kayla discovers her husband’s awful secret, and Marcus is unable to control his wife’s anger. He lashes out and belittles her with cruel language and even violence. Marcus turns to a friend for advice, one who is honest and confirms that Marcus’ actions were completely unjustified. Without giving too much of the story away, it is Kayla who decides to take matters into her own hands and creates a thrilling plot twist which has the audience on the edge of their seat. Scandalouz is filled with drama and touches upon issues of domestic violence, an extremely serious subject to explore but one which should be discussed openly. Especially for victims who are desperate to find solace that there is hope and help there for those that need it. The acting was somewhat awkward in places and did not always flow well, making it difficult to feel a lot of empathy towards some of the characters. However, the story was engaging and certainly gave us the surprise we never expected. With time, director Omar Cook can experiment with camera angles as well as sound as there was a lack of diverse shots and sometimes the sound did not always complement the scene. However, Scandalouz was entertaining and can be seen as the start of some extremely exciting work from Omar Cook.

★★ Directed by: #GuerrillaMetropolitana Starring: #GuerrillaMetropolitana, #Peanuts, #OllieWeasel Short Film Review by: Alexandra James The Censor focuses on the character Sir Philip Reginald Tangen III, the president of the National Censorship Association. Tangen is known for his control over the media and traditionalist views which have prevented the release of certain films and cartoons as a way of protecting the younger generation and to shield them away from what could be considered offensive or obscene. This short film, incorporated elements of pop-art images and a variety of innuendos using animated illustrations and historical artifacts or events which shocked the world to convey a message behind the scenes. The Censor explores a mixture of subjects, one which is clearly represented in the title, and highlights the enforced regulations from the powers above and control of the media, as well as the idea of hypocrisy and symbolism surrounding the notion of sin. Guerilla Metropolitana, director of The Censor, uses a lot of grotesque imagery and delves quite deeply into extreme sadistic acts, with lots of references to blood, semen and violence. This film is not for the faint hearted, and the audience should be warned about some of the content within this short as there are images which may cause upset. Understandably, this short film encompasses scenes which establish a shock factor and extremist perceptions to explore this subject of censorship. However, there were a lot of scenes within this short which did not particularly elevate this film or can be considered truly necessary. There were images used which were to purely provoke and completely diverted away from the narrative. The narrative itself was hard to follow, particularly because there were a lot of repetitive images and certain scenes played out over and over which although added this layer of uncertainty to the film, it also created an amateurish finish. The story follows two very different characters, Reginald Tangen, a man on a mission to keep strict law and have the public conform to his views, and a young skateboarder, rebellious and scouring the streets of London seeking out any form of entertainment. Both worlds collide in this short and the outcome leads to heinous and violent acts all wrapped up in one warped nightmare. The Censor was a dark short film that examines the political and moral message which comes with censorship and the dangers that can be raised through both shielding the youth as well as exposing them to art which may be deemed as indecent or harmful. The Censor was a short filmed peppered with symbolism and metaphors and highlights a crucial message to the audience in terms of its comment on the balance of power and oppression. However, the film itself can be seen as completely bizarre visually and sometimes draws the attention away from this message and summons a distressed response due to its upsetting themes.

Filmotomy’s Femme Filmmakers Festival returns today, Friday 23rd of September, for its seventh year. Over ten days and with a massive fifty-five films on offer the online festival showcases some of the best work from female filmmakers from across the globe. The program is divided into three strands, Showcase Selection, Competition Selection, and Feature Film Selection, you can find the line-up in its entirety below. For the full festival experience visit: www.femmefilmfest.org. Friday 23rd Showcase Selection J’ai Le Cafard // Bint Werdan (Maysaa Almumin) Competition Selection The Letter Room (Elvira Lind) Hot Singles (Laura Jean Hocking) Feature Film Selection Te Llevo Conmigo // I Carry You with Me (Heidi Ewing) Titane // Titanium (Julia Ducournau) Saturday 24th Showcase Selection Public Relations (Thomas H. Stewart, Elle Jae Stewart) Heroines (Katia Badalian) Competition Selection Chute // Strangers (Nora Longatti) Polished (Colleen Dodge) Feature Film Selection Stray (Elizabeth Lo) Moxie (Amy Poehler) Felkészülés meghatározatlan ideig tartó együttlétre // Preparations to Be Together for an Unknown Period of Time (Lili Horvát) Sunday 25th Showcase Selection Mijo (Mazdey Snob) Wallace Chan – The Art of Materials (Martina Margaux Cozzi) Competition Selection Lune // Moon (Zoé Pelchat) Freedom Swimmer (Olivia Martin-McGuire) The Mirror (Giulia Achenza) Feature Film Selection Quo vadis, Aida? // Where are you going, Aida? (Jasmila Žbanić) All This Panic (Jenny Gage) A Night of Knowing Nothing (Payal Kapadia) Monday 26th Showcase Selection L’autre rive // A Shore Away (Gaëlle Graton) Competition Selection Frimas (Marianne Farley) Scratched: Lee Ralph (Madeleine Chapman) Feature Film Selection មុនដំបូងខ្មែរក្រហមសម្លាប់ប៉ារបស់ខ្ញុំ // First They Killed My Father (Angelina Jolie) Infinitely Polar Bear (Maya Forbes) Tuesday 27th Showcase Selection Planet Prescription (Dayna Reggero) Competition Selection Joutel (Alexa-Jeanne Dubé) Ten Degrees of Strange (Lynn Tomlinson) Feature Film Selection Lazzaro felice // Happy as Lazzaro (Alice Rohrwacher) Respire // Breathe (Mélanie Laurent) Wednesday 28th Showcase Selection Two Eggs, Scrambled (Melissa Dimetres) Competition Selection Fanmi (Sandrine Brodeur-Desrosiers, Carmine Pierre-Dufour) Neige // On My Way (Paule Beaudoin) Feature Film Selection The Forty-Year-Old Version (Radha Blank) Shiva Baby (Emma Seligman) Thursday 29th Showcase Selection Good Thanks, You? (Molly Manning Walker) Competition Selection Les grandes claques // Like the Ones I Used to Know (Annie St-Pierre) Laundry Day (Rose E Knopper) Feature Film Selection Bergman Island (Mia Hansen-Løve) Yes, God, Yes (Karen Maine) Friday 30th Showcase Selection Friends Like That (Francesca de Fusco) Competition Selection Down From the Clouds (Cansu Boğuşlu) Cimetière // Cemetery (Sophie B Jacques) Feature Film Selection Les Innocentes // The Innocents (Anne Fontaine) Fast Color (Julia Hart) Saturday 1st Showcase Selection Jsme si o smrt blíž // Love Is Just a Death Away (Bára Anna Stejskalová) Bod (Isabel Garrett) Competition Selection Céu de Agosto // August Sky (Jasmin Tenucci) Plaqué // Gold Plated (Chloé Léonil) Si viene de la Tierra // When It Comes From the Earth (Katalin Egely) Feature Film Selection Maryland // Disorder (Alice Winocour) You Were Never Really Here (Lynne Ramsay) Sunday 2nd Showcase Selection Gone Viral (Savannah O’Leary) Assembly Line of Broken Hearts (JC Farris) Alice in Somnia (Emma Debany) Competition Selection Roll of Honour – prize giving for the Competition Selection Feature Film Selection L’Événement // Happening (Audrey Diwan) دختری در شب تنها به خانه میرود // A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night (Ana Lily Amirpour

Directed by: Zachary Wigon Written by: Micah Bloomberg Starring: Margaret Qualley, Christopher Abbott Film Review by Robert Stayte BDSM is a touchy (ahem) subject that is not always done justice on film, for every Secretary there are half a dozen 365 days or an entire Fifty Shades trilogy. Inherently it’s about more than just sex and can take a lot of different formats, with Sanctuary setting itself apart from other films about the topic in successful ways. Dominatrix Rebecca (Margaret Qualley) has been with businessman Hal (Christopher Abbott) for a while, typically engaging in sexually themed scenarios with him, but upon Hal’s rise in a hotel company to take his father’s former place as the head, he tries to break off the relationship. Rebecca changes her tune and starts a power play to get back at and break him. Don’t expect Sanctuary to be a straight up erotic thriller, whilst that’s part of the narrative the film is much more concerned with the dramatic power play between these two characters and what it reveals about them personally. Not only does this lead to a lot of swerves and surprises, but also an accurate representation of what BDSM is albeit with the personal stakes raised. Throughout the story, there is the sense that Rebecca is not just fighting for her control, but trying to put Hal in a scenario where he will eventually experience personal change. It's a positive representation of BDSM even if it is not conveyed in the most positive way. The limited location and heavy amount of dialogue could give the proceedings a stagey feel, but director Zachary Wigon brings a lot of flair through both the variety of camerawork and the changing tones of the various sequences. He uses one too many closeups but aside from that there’s a grasp on comedy, drama, camp and even tension. The catchy and quirky musical score is also a highlight too. The acting from Abbott and Qualley carries the film as well, especially the latter. Qualley gives a performance that is both intimidating and hilarious, which is apparent in both her expressiveness and what she brings to the role physically. Her best moments are a dance scene and the climax involving role play. Abbott is also convincing as both a submissive type and someone who is trying to be more dominant. The only real flaw with Sanctuary is that it mildly outstays it’s welcome. It’s only 95 minutes but probably could have been 80 minutes. Towards the end it feels like the film loses steam and whilst the final 10 minutes are needed, pacing wise it felt like it was going on too long. The first 15 minutes probably could have made a good short film all on its own, which does mildly throw off the rest of the film but not enough to where the rest of it is boring. Overall, despite a couple of pacing issues, Sanctuary is a unique entry into the Erotic film genre and a good directorial/acting showcase for Wigon and Qualley. You have to know what to expect, but most likely you will be entertained.

Directed by: Michel Hazanavicius Written by: Michel Hazanavicius Starring: Brahim Chioua, Alain de la Mata, Noémie Devide, Vincent Maraval, John Penotti Grimmfest Feature by: Darren Tilby Synopsis: Things go badly for a small film crew shooting a low-budget zombie movie when they are attacked by real zombies. Grimmfest say: Talk about unlikely… The Red Carpet Gala Opening film at this year’s Cannes Film Festival was a high-end French remake of Shin’ichirô Ueda’s groundbreaking micro-budget classic ONE CUT OF THE DEAD, by the Oscar-winning writer-director of THE ARTIST, featuring A list stars Romain Duris, Berenice Bejo and Matilda Lutz in the lead roles. Adhering quite closely to the structure of the original, but shot France, in French, with (white) French actors, the film adds a whole new layer of metatextual mischief by retaining all of the Japanese character names and location-specific references for the opening act, tipping the nod even to those unfamiliar with the original film that something is really not right here, and creating the impression for those who have seen it that they are watching something akin to Gus Van Sant’s disorientating shot-for-shot PSYCHO remake. But stick with it. An explanation is coming, all be it a deliberately ridiculous one, as the film confronts head-on its own uneasy status as a remake, and becomes a mordantly funny meditation on the complexities, compromises and cultural confusions of the international film trade, what gets lost in translation in remaking any film for an entirely new market, and the struggles of the ambitious filmmaker to keep any kind of creative control in the face of corporate intransigence and on-set chaos. Beautifully played, and filled with deft character details and sharply funny insights into the filmmaking process, capturing well the onset camaraderie among the escalating stress and confusion, and with a genuinely uplifting and triumphant finale, it’s that rarest of things, a remake that can not only stand alongside the original in terms of quality, but which also finds a way to build on many of its themes, and add some new twists of its own. What I'm expecting: To say I have no idea what to expect here is an understatement. One Cut of the Dead was one of the funniest, most inventive and best zombie films of recent times; a real crowd-pleaser that no one expected. And now Michel Hazanavicius brings us a French-language remake. Normally I'd say this was a bad thing, a soulless cash grab even. You've only got to look to American cinema to see how many remakes of classic films are made for no reason other than easy money (I'm looking at you Disney!). However, it seems that with Final Cut, what Hazanavicius is giving us is a film satirising the nature of these pointless remakes and their bastardization of the original work. And I'm all here for that! Final Cut is one of the few films I can take a surface look at and just know I'm going to love it. If this is done right, it'll be a great addition to the One Cut of the Dead canon. But there's no denying that it's got some pretty big boots to fill!

Directed by: Karim Ouelhaj Written by: Karim Ouelhaj Starring: Eline Schumacher, Wim Willaert, Benjamin Ramon, Pierre Nisse, Raphaëlle Lubansu, Olivier Picard, Catherine Jandrain Grimmfest Feature by: Darren Tilby Synopsis: Martha and Félix are children of the Butcher of Mons, a notorious Belgian serial killer from the 1990s. While Martha lives an unstable life riddled with insecurities, her brother, crushed by the family legacy, takes over their father’s killings. Harassed and violently assaulted at work, Martha falls into madness and goes through the looking glass into the strange and terrifying world inhabited by her brother. Grimmfest say: A sulphurous study of the legacy of abuse, and of the iniquities of a monstrous, murderous father upon his damaged children, this is a film that pulls no punches and refuses to let you look away. Unapologetically confrontational in approach, it almost challenges the viewer to engage with it at first; the objective eye and cold sense of distance seemingly offering nothing and no one to connect to. But the claustrophobic atmosphere pulls you in anyway, like one of those suffocating fever dreams you can’t escape. Heavily stylised, with amazingly detailed production design and startling cinematography, the film moves effortlessly between grimy, gritty, squalid social realism, and a kind of surreal expressionist nightmare gothic, all underpinned by a murkily oppressive guitar drone and electronica soundtrack. It’s anchored in recognisable human reality by an astonishing lead performance from Eline Schumacher, who is able to shift between heartbreakingly vulnerable and sympathetic and utterly monstrous within the same scene. Brutally violent, emotionally gruelling, and cruel, it’s a film that most definitely contains images and sequences that some viewers may find offensive or triggering, but this is bold, bravura filmmaking, and some of those images are going to stay with you forever. What I'm expecting: So... I think it's safe to say that Megalomaniac is going to be a tough watch! With brutal violence, emotionally gruelling, and content that may be offensive or triggering, this isn't going to be for everyone, and I feel this has the potential to become the most divisive and controversial film of Grimmfest this year. It's often these more realistic horror films (ones which deal with real-life traumas) that are the most frightening and stay with us the longest. However, this is a hard film type to get right: if it's crass about the subject of trauma, or relishes too much in its bloodshed, then it could easily become a very unpopular film with audiences—even Grimmfest's hardcore horror fans. There needs to be a certain degree of sensitivity to how Megalomaniac approaches its themes, and the characters, no matter how repulsive their actions, have to have a measure of sympathy for them. Grimmfest's words on lead actress Eline Schumacher are encouraging, and I am intrigued to see in what way the film has been "stylised" and how it fits into the substance of Karim Ouelhaj's story.