Directed and written by Rufus Chaffee Starring Arianna Danae, Nathaniel Sylva, Bill Taylor and Logan Lopez Short Film Review by Rachel Pullen Have you ever thought about murdering a rich relative and pocketing the cash? No? Well maybe you have never really been that poor, or psychotic, one of the two. The point is we all have that certain relative who really grinds our gears and in the case of this dramatic short, Uncle Max (Bill Taylor) is the embodiment of the annoying relative. With a passion for cheese based snacks, alcoholic beverages and being insanely lazy, Uncle Max bosses his niece Sonya (Arianna Danae) about until she can take no more. She enlists the help of her lover Joe (Nathaniel Sylva) to help her kill him so that the two lovers can run away with all his cash and cheesy snacks...how romantic. The Trouble with Uncle Max explores the fact that when it comes to murder nothing is that easy, and let’s faces facts, if it was, no one would want to be the rich relative in the family! Uncle Max continues his reign of annoyance by not dying as quickly as our star crossed lovers would have hoped, like a cockroach he survives many of their attempts before Joe must resort to getting their hands dirty. But the film explores more than what we as people will do to get our hands on money, director Rufus Chaffee seems more interested in using this theme as a backdrop to explore what people will do for a pretty face. Sonya portrays herself as the suffering niece, roping men into to playing the role of her knight in shining armour; this becomes even more apparent when we see her manipulate a fellow co-worker, Phill (or Fil as he so comically spells it on his employee name badge, we can see why Phill is still single), who clearly has a massive crush on her. He too wants to protect and rescue her, and Sonya uses all her charms to make the men in her life do all her dirty work, even murder, cleaver girl. Danae’s delivery of the character Sonya is believable as well as easy to watch, and that stands for the rest of the cast too, each perform their role in a manner which keeps the audience compelled and involved in the story line. Chaffee crams an intense array of emotions into only 20 minutes, exploring abuse, romance, guilt, betrayal, and desire, all of which are executed with a slight comical edge making this short and dramatic but light hearted experience. #ShortFilmReviews #ShortFilms #RachelPullen #RufusChaffee #AriannaDanae #NathanielSylva #BillTaylor #LoganLopez

Directed by T.J. McCarthy Starring Jeff Williams Short Film Review by James Burgess Chronicling the sought-after testimony of one of history’s most iconic figures, T.J. McCarthy’s short film The Execution of Dr. Martin Luther King - a buttoned-up, stately take on such important events is disappointingly stolid. What could have and should have been a tense, intricate and endlessly fascinating account of the untimely death of one of society’s pioneering and most influential statesman, instead becomes bogged down in jingoistic, patriarchal rhetoric and a distractingly static style. Jeff Williams plays the impassioned lawyer trying to convince the onlooking jury that there’s far more to his infamous assassination than the unsuspecting public consensus has been lead to believe, and his conviction is a rare, undeniable factor. But, it plays out like a piece more rooted in theatricality, almost as if the rather objective audience are another member of the jury - cleverly enough, but that does mean it lacks the kinetic energy that such an important subject demands. It could have been far more involving, with other characters such as the jury members or the judge, playing a pivotal role in more heated proceedings with contrasting views, which normally catalyse the vast majority of almost any drama set in a courtroom into being fraught and gripping - giving them their trademark agency for confrontation and building up hallmark tension. Instead however, in place of those, we have an endlessly patriarchal central role for Jeff Williams - whose character’s convinced that foul play lies at the heart of this flagship case. Maybe this remained McCarthy’s intention - to place America and its values at the very forefront of that most fundamentally American of tragic incidents. But the emphasis on this foregrounding proves a distraction from the facts as well as theoretical opinions of the event itself - emotional impact seems to become ignored, in favour of a sea of conspiratorial spiel. This results in an effect that is only occasionally affecting - albeit a little bluntly. Nevertheless, if its ambition was to deliver its short, sharp message as simply as possible - without the customary bluster of imposing close-ups and treacly score to underpin impact - then it succeeds. Rather like its central and sadly - only - protagonist - The Execution of Dr Martin Luther King is an exercise in concentrated restraint - which starts off as novel, but it quickly becomes very stayed, instead of the essential, topical interpretation of a gross miscarriage of justice it deserves to be. #ShortFilmReviews #ShortFilms #JamesBurgess #TJMcCarthy #Biopic #Legal #JeffWilliams

Directed by V.R. Rao Starring David Thornton, Matti Leinikka and Julia Valen Short Film Review by Jay Hussain Amnesiac is an independent short film about a man who suffers from amnesia. The film starts with the man suddenly waking up in a field looking all lost and confused, and is trying to figure out and understand what is going on and who this mysterious blurred man is he keeps getting visions of. Is there a connection with this man? Why can’t he remember? And how is he going to put these pieces together? What’s interesting about Amnesiac is the way director V.R. Rao has directed the film in a unique noir like stylish effect, and the way the narrative is told building up the film’s main characters and a metaphorical message by the end of the film. It may leave some viewers slightly confused by the outcome with no clear clarity or explanation, but that would have been the filmmaker's intention, as it leaves the movie open with unanswered questions, and it keeps the viewers guessing. It’s recommended that a second viewing might give you another opportunity to analyse the situation from a different perspective and you might end up having a completely different point of view from your original analysis. In relation to the performance by the three main characters, they do an excellent job portraying their roles in such a short run time. Especially the young man (played by David Thornton), you can sense his frustration, confusion, urgency and tension building up towards the final act, and credit goes to those actors for delivering a solid performance. Overall, this is an original short film which has been creatively written and brilliantly directed, it has great cinematography, some clever uses of sound and editing, a score which suited the tone of the film, and the storytelling was paced very well. Being shot in black and white for majority of the film, you can sense that dark and gritty tone throughout but it was a refreshing twist near the end transitioning into colour. It’s certainly an interesting watch being only 7 minutes long, it’s different and weird with a resemblance of Memento, and for any new film writers and directors out there who are wanting to get into the film industry it’s recommended you give this film a watch. #ShortFilmReviews #ShortFilms #JayHussain #VRRao #DavidThornton #MattiLeinikka #JuliaValen #BlackandWhite #Noir #FilmNoir

Directed by Hilary Rothman and Solomon Rothman Starring Kelsey Zukowkski, Megan Hutton, Solomon Rothman, Noel Vanbrocklin and Thomas Lawson Short Film Review by Michael Fiott Taking an obvious influence from classic slasher movies such as Halloween and Friday the 13th, The Dollface Slasher falls short on many of the elements that made those original movies great. One element being that it is simply not scary and at times is more confusing to the viewer due to its technical shortcomings. The film begins with an attractive young woman preparing for a date whilst her ditsy friend lies on her bed playing with her phone in the background, whilst this scene’s obvious intention was to give us some background on the recent events that have taken place, (case in point, the recent grisly murder of a girl in town), it sadly falls into the realm of tired cliches and awkward dialogue. For example the line “what if he’s he’s outside, right now, watching us” followed by an obscured first person view shot and the sound of heavy breathing, purely just from this description it is obvious from the first 60 seconds of the film that it was never really going to offer us anything different or challenging for the horror genre. That line is not the only guilty offender either, the video store scene involving Jason (Solomon Rothman) is a cheap ploy to make us believe how weird and creepy he is. Rather than employing any subtle techniques, he obviously flirts with the girl behind the counter and then enquires as to whether the store has any films where a “girl gets torn apart” followed by a shake of the eyebrows that would make even the most naive of people question his intentions. The bad dialogue is only accentuated by the performances of each actor. Whilst the acting in slasher movies can be notoriously bad at the best of times, for it to be successful the main characters must be relatable, likeable and most importantly, smart. Unfortunately, the acting on display here makes each character appear cringe-worthy, there are occasions where actors pause and forget lines (an aspect I am confused by when more than one take of a line can be shot) and the delivery of each line only proves to add to the shaky-ness of the unrefined script. This brings me to by far the worst aspect of The Dollface Slasher, its technical aspects. It’s not shot with any particular enthusiasm or creativity, with each frame being off kilter or out of focus in some respect. This makes every conversation feel boring, with shot reverse shot seeming to be the only technique used, often resulting in performers' heads being cut off at the top or even computer screens completely blocking a character’s introduction (which can be seen at 3:46). The sound is another inconsistency; it is very obvious that ambient recordings were not taken as many times throughout the editing we are left with complete silence that creates a giant disconnect to the previous shot. The editing from the 8 minute mark onwards was also noticeably choppy with many strange choices being made, whilst the action is still somewhat easy to follow, the transitions coupled with darkness of the scene and the shaky cam technique start to shatter our suspension of disbelief and makes us concentrate more on the lack of quality than the possible creepiness the Dollface Slasher himself could have had, an aspect that I’m afraid all of the film struggles with. #ShortFilmReviews #ShortFilms #MichaelFiott #Horror #SlasherFilms #HilaryRothman #SolomonRothman

Directed by Paul Murphy Starring Haiste & Lawrence Short Film Review by Taryll Baker Have you ever been watching your favourite show on television to be interrupted with a number of exasperating adverts that play out much longer than they should? Social Networking Socially - Society Through Technology is one of those adverts. This could just be down to my sense of humour, but Paul Murphy’s award-winning short film just doesn’t seem funny at all. With a duration of only 3 minutes, how is it that the film seems to feel longer than its title name? Again, I’m biased because my humour is very different to that being delivered here, so I’ll ignore that for now. The film itself is wonderfully crafted, and to quote the description - “shot with Canon 518 on one cartridge of Kodak Vision3 200t Super 8 film with only in-camera edits and no post-production.” - it’s clearly been thoughtfully executed. Comedy duo Haiste & Lawrence narrate the picture with an exaggerated delivery of lines that brings us back to the 1960s era of televised advertising. The concept is brilliant and it had me excited, but the final product doesn’t perform well enough for it to be deserving of its critical acclaim. I appreciate the filmmaking and the talent working behind the camera, however I never once feel the same way when watching the film itself. Let’s take a step back. Imagine living in the 60s just as the internet is sparking up, becoming as big and as important as it is today, but of course, no one knows how to use it. Sounds cool, original and funny, right? There’s so much to play around with, yet in Social Networking Socially, it never seems to take off from the mindless fun to explore different areas, both good and bad, which disappoints me. The short film uses an old-fashioned, funky instrumental that ultimately gives it that 60s feel, but quickly and with no hesitation, becomes one of the repetitive annoyances present throughout. The locations used are fitting, aided by the artistically shoddy and stylistic camerawork and are one of, if not the only, saving grace. If the filmmakers’ goal was to irritate the viewer, then they have succeeded. Maybe this is aimed at those born in or before the 1960s, in which case I’m not at liberty to criticise, but for my comedy preference and sense of humour, this short is incredibly underwhelming. #ShortFilmReviews #ShortFilms #Comedy #TaryllBaker #PaulMurphy

Directed by Scott Mooney Starring Jaymie Knight, Eliza St John, Graham Yates, Atlas Adams, Craig Walker, & Donna Sizer Short Film Review by Chris Olson Psychological crime thriller Neuroplastic is a gripping and intelligent short film directed by Scott Mooney and written by Mooney with Leon Sear. Set in a sci-fi England where lying has become impossible and citizens have implant chips in their necks, one man, Evan (Jaymie Knight), attempts to broker a deal with a shady organisation from the criminal underbelly of society, offering them the chance to purchase lie codes that will give them the ability to talk falsely for 72 hours. Full of mystery and suspense, Neuroplastic creates a dark and brooding atmosphere which it maintains brilliantly throughout the run time. From the initial frames of bodies thudding to the ground to the ending sequence when...well that would be spoiling it...Mooney's direction is cool and confident, delivering some starkly compelling scenes. The visuals are a brilliant mix of intense intimacy and crisp cut scenes that compel and intrigue. As the plot thickens, and the swirling twists are revealed, the filmmaking becomes increasingly unpredictable and entertaining. There is a formidable cast to enjoy during Neuroplastic. Knight is a spectacular lead, coping superbly with the dramatic intensity without faltering, and having brilliant chemistry with Eliza St John - who is excellent as Heather, his partner in the business endeavour. Donna Sizer is also marvellous as Matriarch - one of the criminals interrogating Evan about his product and the applications. Special mention should also go to Atlas Adams as the Tech who doggedly quizzes Evan about the lie codes, and makes more of the violent threats that pepper the dialogue. A couple of plot threads felt underdeveloped, such as the backstory to Heather's suffering, and the overall history to the current "no-lie" civilisation that is being presented. However, these gripes are actually praise, as it meant I simply wanted to spend more time in this world created by Mooney and Sear, and would happily engage with a feature length version of Neuroplastic. Like a cross between Liar Liar, Lord of War, and Blade Runner, fans of sci-fi drama will be in their element with this cool and compelling story about lies and manipulation at the highest stakes. With strong directorial proficiency, the short film is able to step into a genre that is difficult to compete and leaves a lasting impression, with interesting characters, sharp dialogue, and a filmmaking aesthetic that is incredibly entertaining. Watch the official movie trailer for Neuroplastic below... #ShortFilmReviews #ShortFilms #ChrisOlson #Scifi #ScienceFiction #ScottMooney #LeonSear #JaymieKnight #ElizaStJohn #DonnaSizer #AtlasAdams #MovieTrailers #PsychologicalThriller #CrimeThriller

★★ Directed by Lasse Hallström Starring Josh Gad, Bryce Gheisar, KJ Apa, Britt Robertson, John Ortiz, Dennis Quaid, Peggy Lipton Film Review by Kieran Freemantle What is the meaning of life? Is it to bring happiness to others? Is it to look out for yourself? Or is it just an exercise in futility? The reincarnated spirit of several dogs attempts to answer this in the family drama A Dog's Purpose. Josh Gad voices the dogs as he is reincarnated over the decades - from a feral puppy to a police dog to a pampered corgi. The bulk of the film follows the spirit's life as Bailey, a Golden Retriever who gets adopted by a young boy, Ethan (Bryce Gheisar) and forms an unbreakable bond. Over the years Bailey sees the teenage Ethan (KJ Apa) become a star football player, falls in love with a girl called Hannah (Britt Robertson) and see the alpha of the pack: Ethan's father (Luke Kirby) become a bitter alcoholic. A Dog's Purpose had a period setting - telling a story from the 1960s to the present day - and the story itself has a '90s feel about it: a combination of Fluke, a story of man being reincarnated as a dog and Paulie, a film about a parrot who searches for his owner and recounts all the humans he met over his life. The invention of YouTube and social media also made A Dog's Purpose dated since it is easy to go online and find videos and memes of animals doing silly antics. There are plenty of doggy antics for animal lovers to enjoy and as Bailey has his own form dog logic, like seeing the cat wanting to be a dog and believing kissing is a way for humans to exchange food. These insights do provide a chuckle yet it would be easy to picture this as something the internet personality ZeFrank would say in one of his videos: ZeFrank is best known for the voice of the 'Dear Kitten' adverts on Youtube where a cat talks about how he sees the world. The use of the animals also leads to the use of come childish humour involving poop and farting. A Dog's Purpose was directed by prolific Swedish filmmaker Lasse Hallström - a man who has made serious, well-received dramas and schmaltzy films. A Dog's Purpose falls in the latter category. Hallström has directed two Nicholas Sparks adaptations and A Dog's Purpose has the air of a Sparks' story: the dogs have a way of drawing people together and comfort people who are lonely, like many Sparks stories A Dog's Purpose has a period setting and A Dog's Purpose has a dark subplot - i.e. Ethan's dad becoming more abusive. The film is emotionally manipulative as dogs die over the years and suffer in some way. I admit I welled up a little bit but that's because I thought about what happened to my old pets. A Dog's Purpose was met with some controversy before its release in America when TMZ broadcast leaked footage of a dog seemingly being mistreated on set but an independent investigation has since stated that the footage was edited to give a misleading picture. This should give some comfort for animal lovers who were concerned for the dogs. A Dog's Purpose does pale in comparison to another recent animal film, A Street Cat Named Bob. A Street Cat Named Bob also had a lot of cute animal humour - yet the story was centred around James Bowen trying to overcome his drug addiction and his newfound feline friend helped him through the struggle. A Dog's Purpose was really three stories that were loosely connected. A Dog's Purpose is a Lifetime movie that somehow got a solid cast and a cinematic release: a film that is designed to make audiences cry in the cheapest way possible. The cute dogs will please the animal lovers in the audience. #AnimalFilms #FilmReviews #TheatricalReleases #KieranFreemantle #LasseHallström #JoshGad #BryceGheisar #KJApa #BrittRobertson #JohnOrtiz #DennisQuaid #PeggyLipton

Directed by Colm Field & Ashley Belgrave Written by Colm Field Starring Celiya Koster, Jamaal Muhammad, Victor Santos, & Alfie Nash Short Film Review by Chris Olson A snapshot of life told in extreme close-ups, obscure framing, and...largely from the perspective of a rubbish skip. Filmmaker Colm Field's short film (co-directed by Ashley Belgrave) Skipped is peppered with lovely dramatic moments and tension, as well as delivering a visual landscape that is arresting in its banality. Sarah (Celiya Koster) and Andre (Jamaal Muhammad) are in the process of clearing the former's flat out and filling up a skip of her unwanted possessions, things she will not need for her move to university which is imminent. The pair's relationship seems strong even facing this upcoming change, which is so often the catalyst for romance plots. The two banter as they chuck household furniture into the skip, and enjoy reminiscing about the memories that some of the items spark. Conflict strikes in the form of a hooded thug called Shox (Victor Santos) who briefly terrorises the couple, who are fortunately saved by a Good Samaritan neighbour (Alfie Nash). However, the damage to Andre's ego is perhaps more than he can handle right now. Visually, Skipped is loaded (much like the skip) with seemingly innocuous items that when put together create a beautiful tapestry of life from an alternative angle. The idea of perspective is a strong through line which is complemented in both the filmmaking and the story. These characters about to enter into proper adulthood are the perfect age for a tale about perspective. Andre's decision to focus on the attack on his masculinity rather than helpfulness of the neighbour shows his immaturity and lack of perspective. The smorgasbord of framing techniques which are supposedly from the angle of the skip creates a wonderfully eclectic collection of angles which felt both intimate and isolated. The pacing of the plot left a lot to be desired. It would have been beneficial to flesh out more of the relationship's backstory. Furthermore, the introduction of the two character threats felt too bulky. One would have been enough and the drama which unfolded might have felt more coherent. That being said, I just wanted more which is never a bad thing for a short film! Koster is bubbly and believable in her role as the woman torn between her man and her future. The small violent moments were handled well. Muhammad was excellent in his portrayal, managing to cope with several huge mood shifts within a very short sequence without dropping the heightened sense of conflict or drama. For a movie that dares to be both mundane and bold, Field and Belgrave a short film that is tenacious, unique, and...ahem...littered with lovely visuals. #ShortFilmReviews #ShortFilms #ChrisOlson #Filmmaking #CeliyaKoster #JamaalMuhammad #AlfieNash #ColmField #VictorSantos #AshleyBelgrave

Directed and written by Jamie Hooper Starring Tim Blackwell, Nathan Dean Williams, Gabriella Montrose Short Film Review by Rachel Pullen Certain films, as well as directors, are known for their plot twists, of course we all think of the extremely famous ending to M. Night Shyamalan’s The Sixth Sense, where Bruce Willis got super bummed out to realise he has been dead for the duration of the film, and making us the audience realize what a self centered, piece of garbage husband he must of been to not figure out his wife never looks him in the eye anymore, or touches him, or talks to him, or anything in fact...god damn, get it together Bruce. The point being plot twists are very successful within cinema, especially in thriller’s and director Jamie Hooper is on board the plot twist train straight away with Unto death, in fact he is so on board he is the train driver, steering us into a world where everything is not as it seems. This short tells the story of a homosexual priest who, whist conducting a sermon, reads a poem, about love, life and the frailty of it all. We see him and his lover enjoying their times together and being very much in love, shot with vibrant lights and using warm and rich tones on the sets, director Hooper, avoids conversation between his characters, letting the poetry do the talking, and so brings life to their emotions using these tools. But all is not pleasant for long as his partner falls mysteriously ill, causing the priest to block out the vibrant lights, putting the atmosphere of the piece directly on the other side of the spectrum, plunging the audience into a world of darkness and fading hope, as he keeps his lover bed bound, shielded from light. Spoiler Alert And then there is a moment when you think to yourself, no it can’t be what I think it is, maybe he has some kind of strep throat, maybe the light hurts his eyes for a variety of medical reasons, but no, this is film at the end of the day, and it's everything you first thought it to be...vampires. Now this does not seem so silly as there are millions of vampire films in the world already, but Hooper’s entrance to this short, leads us to anything but that conclusion, believing I am watching moving piece of poetic work about the untimely loss of a lover to a terrible illness, only to see a vampire pop out was immensely comical, and that I believe was what Hooper desired. Spoiler Finished Executing this comical plot twist in a manner that does not throw off the emotional backdrop that has been built up takes a good amount of skill, Unto Death achieves this by having a highly competent cast attached, as well as excellent direction making the transition of the storyline smooth and believable. This is a slick and professional looking piece of film, offering up a buffet of emotions for its audience which will keep you guessing right up to the end. #ShortFilmReviews #RachelPullen #ShortFilms #PlotTwists #JamieHooper #TimBlackwell #NathanDeanWilliams #GabriellaMontrose

Written & Directed by Fidan Jafarova & Tofiq Rzayev Starring Basti Jafarova, Sabir Memmedov, Konul Iskender, Adil Damirov Short Film Review by Taryll Baker There's rarely a time when a short feels as if it could benefit greatly from being a feature. Fidan Jafarova & Tofiq Rzayev's Araf is one of these films. With its 8-minute running length, Araf lacks in exposition. We never feel greatly connected to its characters or the surrounding environment, even though it's being threatened by the great evils of war. It seems like a clever concept, however we're never shown exactly why. But, take away the restricted duration, expand upon the characters and you have a splendid feature. The audio is recorded very well, the editing is acceptable and the music fits beautifully. Composer Gergö Elekes writes an undying piano melody that evolves throughout and grasps the unforgiving war and eeriness present. The costume design also aids the setting brilliantly. Simuzar Aliyeva is clearly very talented in this art and will one day grace the set of a much greater production when the time comes. The location has been chosen well, Abri Aliyev takes a pragmatic approach with scouting, and provides a mysterious and almost sinister background for the cast, which also reflects in their performances; which by all are realistic and feel important, but the storytelling never gets a chance to take off. In the scenes with Father (Sabir Memmedov) we're almost told how to feel, rather than letting the performance connect with the audience on a deeper level. That said, the scene with Farida (Konul Iskender) & Ali (Adil Damirov) is an exceptional examination of the human mind. It's a great character study. In fact, I had to question myself about the sanity of Farida once the film had finished. Is it a dream? A vision of her future? Maybe it's a flash to the past and she's no longer alive? These are questions that go unanswered, for better or worse, but I believe can be answered in a feature-length film. While I criticise a pillar of the film the crew may not have been able to work around, I can't help but feel that we're left with an indelible emptiness when the picture eventually fades to black. To conclude, with a bigger budget and more time to connect with characters, I truly believe this could be a dark and compelling drama. However, as a short, Araf unfortunately falls flat. #ShortFilmReviews #ShortFilms #TaryllBaker #TofiqRzayev #FidanJafarova #GergöElekes

★★★★ Directed by Jordan Peele Starring Daniel Kaluuya, Allison Williams, Bradley Whitford, LilRel Howery Film Review by Jay Hussain Get Out is a psychological horror thriller written and directed by Jordan Peele, which stars Daniel Kaluuya who is an African-American man having an interracial relationship with Caucasian girlfriend Rose (Allison Williams). When Rose asks Chris to go away for the weekend and meet her parents upstate, the family welcome him with open arms, however shortly after things start to get a bit mysterious and sinister. What a refreshing and original film, directed by first time director and known for his comedic roles, Jordan Peele has certainly gotten himself to a great start. Firstly, the casting and performances from everyone is brilliant, Kaluuya does an incredible job playing the lead role and you’re connected to his character immediately from the minute that you see him. As well as Allison Williams who plays his girlfriend, she delivers a solid performance and I believed the chemistry she had with Kaluuya. There are also other great performances throughout the film, however the most memorable and enjoyable performance was from LilRel Howery who plays Chris’s best friend and he had some of the best funniest lines and I enjoyed his humour. Secondly, Get Out deals with a lot of passive racism in a subtle but interesting way, and to some who may unfortunately have dealt with racism in their life may understand those moments quicker than others. There are a lot of moments in the film where you’ll see from Chris’s perspective, how he would find himself in awkward and uncomfortable situations, and how he deals with those issues. Jordan Peele is a huge fan of the horror genre and combining his comedic skills, this is one of the best directed horror films I’ve seen for a while. The directing and screenplay is excellent, the cinematography is great, I loved the dark and creepy tone throughout and the dark humour was used perfectly. If you enjoyed recent horror movies such as Don’t Breathe, Split, Lights Out, The Conjuring 2, It Follows or Green Room then this is certainly worth the watch as there are some Shyamalan like resemblances and twists. The only minor flaws I have with Get Out is that it was a bit predictable by half way and it does slow down a little, but it delivers in the end. Overall, I loved the concept, the performances are fantastic, there’s great humour, it’s directed brilliantly, there’s no cheap cliché jump scares and the best way to put this film is it’s “Meet The Parents” but in “The Twilight Zone”. #FilmReviews #TheatricalReleases #Horror #Racism #JordanPeele #DanielKaluuya #AllisonWilliams #BradleyWhitford #LilRelHowery

Written and Directed by Daniel Metcalf Cinematography and Editing by Sam Thomas Starring Callum Metcalf, Jacob Arnold, and John Cuffe Short Film Review by Euan Franklin There is a degree of trepidation whenever an amateur production has chosen the mockumentary style. Many first-time filmmakers think it’s a fast-track route, without considering whether it suits the story. Professionals make the same mistake. You could say that somewhere between This is Spinal Tap and Modern Family, the meaning of the mockumentary has been lost. Nowadays, the style is nothing more than a gimmick – if not at first, then certainly by the fifth season. It is, therefore, refreshing that the story of The Job Hunt lends itself so well to the genre – to the point where it couldn’t be told another way. Callum (Callum Metcalf) is an unemployed, unqualified, and underdeveloped 19-year-old striving for a decent job. The trouble? He always screws up the interviews. With help from his friends and family, he tries to lift himself out of apathy and into the work place. Callum can be a monotonous presence within the film, carved with one gormless expression, and there is a constant contradiction between his character and Metcalf’s performance. The opening talking-head interview presents Callum as a reserved, perhaps introverted teenager – but later in the film, he is fed lines like “Don’t need luck, mate. I’m a natural!” and “I always thought I was too good for a lot of jobs”. Would a character with such an expressionless demeanour really stoop to this level of arrogance? The limelight is taken away from Metcalf to shine brightly on supporting actor John Cuffe. The latter gives a standout performance as an arrogant but energetic character, releasing a vivid presence on-screen (unlike his fellow actors). It’s a shame the director didn’t have Cuffe as the main character – as it would have hydrated certain scenes where the energy turns sluggish. The writer/director Daniel Metcalf constructs his supporting characters with detail unusual in amateur productions, displaying funny quirks and idiosyncrasies that make them enjoyable to watch. Even Callum, despite his tedium, can be quite alluring. However, these qualities are clouded by Metcalf’s ignorance of the genre he’s playing with. Sam Thomas’ clunky cinematography proceeds with a disconcerting lack of care and consideration – shown in the feeble attempts at quick-zooms, made popular by shows like The Office. Thomas’ zooms aren’t smooth or motivated. They don’t know where they’re going or what they’re doing. If they’re for a comic reaction, we don’t see it. If they’re to capture an important turning point, we don’t know about it. What’s left is the creaking of the lens wheel as Thomas readjusts during scenes. The story isn’t about what’s happening on-screen anymore – it’s about the frustrated cameraman. Worse than the unplanned visuals was the under-prepared sound quality. We’re expected to sit and watch characters who can barely be heard. One scene is infected with crunches of static noise from somebody’s mobile phone. In another, there is breathing behind the camera. It’s hardly a surprise that the name of the sound recorder doesn’t fade up in the end credits. If there was one on-set, they clearly didn’t want their name attached. They might’ve found it difficult finding another job. The Job Hunt is like an unrevised first draft: a bad beginning, improving in the middle, but reaching no great height by the end. It finishes on a frustrating ambiguity for no good reason, and there’s no overwhelming sense that anything’s changed – despite the interviewer’s insistence to the contrary. Overall, the premise is good, the jokes are funny, and it suits the mockumentary style – but the result feels stunted, made with apathy instead of vigour. I’m afraid this application for my enjoyment has been unsuccessful. #ShortFilmReviews #ShortFilms #EuanFranklin #DanielMetcalf #JohnCuffe #CallumMetcalf