★★★★ Directed by: Tammes Bernstein Written by: Tammes Bernstein, Theo Wanderydz, William Gillies Starring: Anna Munden, Bartley Burke, Cassian Bilton, Tracey Bargate Film Review by: Jason Knight A man's passing dramatically affects certain residents of a fishing village. Eliza (Munden) works in a fishing factory, while her father, Ian (Burke) is a fisherman. One day, while Eliza is working, Ian goes out to sea, with a colleague, Tom. Apparently, a terrible accident has taken place, resulting in Tom falling into the water and vanishing. As time goes by, the locals begin to suspect that Ian could have been responsible for Tom's death and begin treating Eliza and her dad with hostility, even vandalizing their house. This causes her to believe there might by a side to her father that she was unaware of. This short story is part mystery and part family drama and explores themes of grief, death and trust. The narrative focuses on two subjects: whether Ian murdered Tom and the effects the tragedy has on the relationship between Eliza and Ian. The film does a good job in creating suspense and drama, and makes the audience want to find out what really happened to Tom. Munden delivers a great performance as an everyday girl, whose world is turned upside down when her father is suspected of wrongdoing. Burke is very convincing as an individual who appears to be grief-stricken, while Bilton and Bargate are emotional as the grieving son and widow of Ian. Bernstein directs very effectively, making wonderful establishing shots and a terrific bird's-eye view shot. He successfully captures the beauty of the filming locations. Credit also goes to the dramatic score by Natalia Tsupryk that helps develop the right atmosphere. The film also takes a look into life in the fishing industry, as it shows characters operating a fishing boat and working in a factory, dressed in uniform, cutting and processing fish and crabs. Shoal is an achievement that deserves praise and recognition. Well acted and directed, with plenty of drama, it offers an interesting experience. #JasonKnight

★★★ Directed by: #AliTabrizi Netflix Film Review by Taryll Baker Passionate about ocean life, a filmmaker sets out to document the harm that humans do to marine species - and uncovers alarming global corruption. You know, they really missed the golden opportunity to title this documentary ‘Conspirasea,’ but alas. Seaspiracy, a film by young filmmaker Ali Tabrizi, takes aim at fish farming; the process and just how “eco-friendly” it is. Like all pieces of journalism, there are sides to a story and more often than not, only one side is presented. The same goes for Seaspiracy. It’s clear that there are major problems in the fishing industry, and this film does open up things for debate, but it also declares itself as a strictly factual piece and that just isn’t the case. There is no doubt how important sharks are to our ecosystem, for example. Seaspiracy shows how vital it is to maintain a healthy ocean. It also shows fisherman needlessly killing fish such as dolphins as a reaction of overfishing, which is a problem we as humans have created. Slaughtering any form of life is something I’m certain many people are against, so it’s safe to assume that that is the issue we should be concentrating on. It goes beyond plastic bags and straws making their way into the seas, thus harming marine life. It’s mistreatment of wildlife and important food chains that will disrupt our ecosystem, and the focus on that in Seaspiracy is great. There are small chunks that shine a light on slavery at sea, also, which is quite shocking. The film features a few interviews that seem mildly fabricated, but there also a couple moments that appear genuine — and it’s quite surreal. One section focuses on the ‘dolphin-safe’ label, and just how legitimate that is, and the answer given spins in circles. Documentaries such as this usually attract a heated discussion, and it’s no different here. Members of council and environmental scientists have come forward with reactions of surprise; presenting their own side to the story, claiming that Seaspiracy is misleading with plenty of bias and ‘set-ups’ that they fear viewers will eat up effortlessly. What should be done by viewers — instead of overreaction — is further research. One piece of media will not present all of the information, merely a small serving of it. Seaspiracy is a tiny and affective piece of the very messy puzzle, and while it is taking shots at many heads, not with the most precise of aim, it does compel conversation. The documentary itself is presented well for the most part. There are a few shoddy cuts between animated sequences to real footage, and the general look of all the pieces together can be viewed as cheap, but overall with its cookie-cutter music score and visceral up-close footage, it’s a fairly decent production. Netflix acquiring this film will no doubt lead to many, many people watching and I’m sure further debates will be had going forward, but it’s also good to remember that there is more to the story than can be shown in just 90 minutes of cut-down footage and polished narration. Seaspiracy is now streaming on Netflix. - #TaryllBaker

Spring has sprung and with that comes the newest Film Podcast on Spotify. That’s right, the UK Film Review Podcast is back after a long hiatus, with a couple of brand new episodes available to stream right now! The UK Film Review Podcast has a new team, with the site’s critics taking the helm for different movie topics, with the hope of releasing a new Film Podcast episode each week on Spotify (as well as other Podcast providers). Right now, you can listen to a Mini Review of Knives Out, in which film critic Ian Lunny tries to convince Editor-in-Chief Chris Olson and film critic Brian Penn to consider watching the murder-mystery comedy, as well as a full-length episode on the films of filmmaker Christopher Nolan. In the Christopher Nolan Films episode, the UKFR team are made up of Chris Olson, Ian Lunny, Brian Penn, Alicia Moore, Andrew Young and Chris Buick, and they discuss the major hits of the filmmaker’s career. Starting off with a terrific discussion of 2020’s Tenet, the Film Podcast episode goes on to explore other films such as Dunkirk, Interstellar, the Dark Knight Trilogy, Inception, Memento, and more. During the podcast episode, numerous features of Nolan films were discussed, including the “emotion” of them and whether a connection to the characters was easy or hard. There is also an exploration of the narrative structure which Nolan uses, during which critic Andrew Young coins the phrase “timey-wimey”. Critic Ian Lunny also stands his ground as a non-Nolan-fan, giving Tenet a score of just 2 or 3. This episode of the UK Film Review Podcast is available to download from Spotify too! Support Our Film Podcast We would love for you to Follow our podcast on Spotify - the bigger our community the better we feel, so please head over there (if you have an account - or set one up if you don’t, it’s free!) and click the “FOLLOW” button. You can then start listening to any of the film podcast episodes, where you will also find some of our older shows before the hiatus. You can also share our podcast from your Spotify app - using all the usual social media links or WhatsApp. If you have an idea for our Film Podcast to cover, please get in touch via our Facebook page. Our Next Film Podcast Episode Launching tomorrow, the UK Film Review Podcast’s newest episode explores the recent Zack Snyder’s Justice League film (in all its 4-hour glory) as well as other films from the DC Universe. A must-listen for all superhero film fans or Snyder fans. Be sure to Follow us on Spotify so that you can be the first to know when a new podcast episode lands. Click Here to Follow On Spotify.

★★★★ Directed by #TimSutton Written by #TimSutton Starring #CosmoJarvis #DelaMaskienyar Film Review by Hope Madden Though writer/director Tim Sutton’s latest is more a collection of images and moments than a strictly plotted narrative, the story that unfolds is kind of a bittersweet wonder. An isolated youngish man (Cosmo Jarvis) rails against the impending destruction of his neighborhood, a community he haunts wearing a happy Halloween mask. An act of kindness at a nearby convenience store, though, brings about a surprising and really lovely friendship. Jarvis, who was so good in last year’s Calm with Horses, convinces again as an outsider with a lot of pent-up anger but an otherwise sweet heart. There’s a mixture of brutality and vulnerability in the portrayal that calls to mind Tom Hardy or even Brando – although, given a particular preoccupation in the film, he may be aiming for James Dean. Newcomer Dela Meskienyar matches him step for step as another outsider, also angry at circumstances that feel beyond control, also hiding her face. It’s a remarkable and never forced kind of parallelism Sutton develops–a lost quality that he sees in every character. He uses this thread to braid disparate lives together and to create a sense of empathy, even toward the most loathsome among us. Sutton is no stranger to tales of white male alienation, bruised masculinity, and an almost childlike struggle with our primal nature. Both his first feature Dark Night (which deals with the 2012 Aurora shooting), and his follow up, Donnybook (about bare knuckle brawls in addiction-riddled Ohio) illustrate his interest. Funny Face, though, marks a step toward something more stylish. The film has a retro vibe, like a long-lost Seventies indie set in Brooklyn. Given the of-the-moment storyline, this offers his film the timeless quality of a fairy tale—a theme he develops with imagery of equal parts urban realism and magical whimsy. A sense of mourning fuels Funny Face. While Sutton’s film is intimately linked to its Brooklyn setting, that exact same mourning informs Lesotho’s beautiful This Is Not a Burial, It’s a Resurrection, also releasing this week. Unchecked capitalism is a global cancer, it would seem. All of Sutton’s films contextualize human struggle within the context of community. This has never been truer than it is with Funny Face, a comment on the way greed destroys history and the sense of place, leaving nothing in that emptiness, even for those who profit. Not even a smile. #HopeMadden

★★★★★ Directed by #LemohangJeremiahMosese Written by #LemohangJeremiahMosese Starring #MaryTwala #JerryMofokeng Film Review by Cat McAlpine In the small village of Nazareth, in the tiny Kingdom of Lesotho, a man recounts the wisdom his father once gave to him. “My son, what they call progress…It is when men point their damning finger at nature and proclaim conquest over it.” It is that poisonous progress that the people of Nazareth are fighting against in This Is Not a Burial, It’s a Resurrection, and it is a losing battle. The film follows 80-year-old widow Mantoa. After the death of her last surviving child, she finds herself utterly alone and mired in grief. The story unfolds like a mythic, dark fairytale with beautiful vignettes and discordant music. Director Lemohang Jeremiah Mosese carries us from moment to moment as Mantoa repeatedly has to contemplate her grief. Though she resigns herself to simply wait to be buried alongside her family, a new challenge arrives with a blazer and a megaphone. The village will be relocated, a dam will be built, their fields will be flooded. What of the dead? What of Mantoa? The elderly woman convinces the village to resist the spinning wheels of progress. Together they seek to find what is left for their community in the land where their dead are buried. Twice we are reminded that Nazareth is the name that new settlers gave the land. Before that, it was always known as the Plains of Weeping. Jerry Mofokeng delivers a reverent and deeply sad narration of Mantoa’s struggles. Using the framework of a narrator, with a different voice and perspective than Mantoa, further perpetuates the storybook feel. But this is not a happy children’s tale. This is a story about capitalism’s infinite reach. This is a story about grief, culture, and perseverance. This is a story about the dead. Mary Twala is phenomenal in her final role as Mantoa. Her emotion is palpable even when she sits in silence. Her rage and her pain don’t slow the narrative or taint it with bitterness. Instead, Twala propels Mantoa with the depths of her grief. She is an absolute powerhouse, and the film would not succeed as well as it does without her. And the film does succeed. It is incredibly beautiful, rich with color, light, and shadow. Every scene is a haunting painting. The cast, mixed with actors and non-actors alike, brings you to witness the erasure of a real place and real people, and you mourn with them. When Mofokeng intones that the dead buried the dead, he reflects on a village that will soon be hidden under water. Though the people of Nazareth still live, something about them will be lost forever. They are some of the last of their kind as new roads, and new buildings, and new dams continue to creep into the quiet places of the world. Progress fills up little villages with the walking dead as ways of life are washed away. #CatMcAlpine

★★★★★ Directed by: Ivyy Chen Written by: Ivyy Chen Short Film Review by: Emily Davison On a secluded island, a gentle white giant wanders, righting fallen chairs when they fall down in this poetic animated short. Isle of Chair (2020), directed by Ivyy Chen (Taiwan born animation director and illustrator now based in London) is a difficult film to do justice to in one summary statement. This quiet, sombre piece brought to fruition through 2D animation is a wonderful achievement in visual storytelling with an inspiring message based on the filmmaker’s ‘tiny addiction’ to chairs. The film has gained much critical attention with its screenings at several film festivals across the world, such as the London International Animation Festival and Toronto Reel Asian Film Festival. It has also won Best Animation at the Eurasia International Film Festival and was an award winner at the Indie Short Fest. The film’s visual aesthetic is simple but mesmerising in its peaceful ambient setting with engaging animation highlighting monochrome colours and pastel hues, all adding to its imaginative charm. Although the short’s premise is, on the surface, simple and perhaps a little ambiguous and bizarre in that we follow a giant silent creature on a seemingly abandoned island as it fixes the position of various chairs, Chen invites us to consider philosophical, very human themes of mental health and isolation. It is not immediately obvious on a first watch, but many interpretations can be drawn from the compelling images and symbols presented onscreen, such as a kitchen table with a single overhead lamp and no people, or a chair that has fallen down in a sudden storm. The opening quote by Haruki Murakami offers insight into the film’s abstract ideologies and invites viewers to contemplate their own views on mental health and what it means to live in a society amongst other beings. The change in tone is translated through bright colours dissolving into dark blues and greys, optimism changing to depression as a gloomy presence looms over the island. The film does not linger on this side of things for too long, however, evoking a beautiful message of there always being a light at the end of the tunnel and this optimism is particularly relevant when reflecting on the current pandemic we are all facing. Sarah Playford’s original score compliments the film’s simplicity with a tender presence that offers a whimsical, childlike quality to the animation. Mei Yi Ting Chang’s sound design incorporates an atmospheric, calming presence with naturalistic cues to sounds of a gentle breeze or the turning of a page and a pen rolling across the floor. Both fit perfectly with the film’s lovely aesthetic. Isle of Chair is a stunning example of the power of animation and its ability to convey provocative themes and create serene imagery which reflects the world we live in. Chen’s artistic vision and passion for the simple pleasures in life are captured elegantly onscreen and all of these elements make this short essential viewing. #EmilyDavison Isle of Chair (2020) Short Film Trailer:

★★★★ A Film by: #HenryWest Short Film Review by Taryll Baker Climate change, overfishing, poaching, predators and pollution... birds that have waddled this planet for millennia are facing more threats than ever in a world dramatically altered by humans. 90 percent of the world's seabirds have ingested plastic. All of them will by 2050. It's on all of us to create change. For the penguins. For the oceans. Narrated in character as the penguins to create some personality, The Plastic and the Penguin is a super short documentary film that shows the affects of climate change, littering and pollution, seemingly crafted to be shown to young children as a form of education on the subject. The film runs at only 3-minutes and therefore is really a scratching of the icy surface, but it gets the job done with great execution. We follow a young penguin as he searches for help across the snowy plains of Antartica; his mother choking on some food that turned out to be used plastic which made its way into their waters. Through beautiful, BBC documentary-level cinematography, the penguins and their brisk but suffering surroundings are captured in all their cold-toned glory, that is until the film progresses and the colour fades into greyness to accentuate the human influence on their world. There’s some great selected music that plays underneath these sharp visuals and though the journey of the young penguin is short, the music supports the emotional triggers West was aiming for. As an educational piece that’s both fun and tragic, The Plastic and the Penguin is a great little piece of documentary filmmaking. West’s storytelling style is quite unique; he created this film as a celebration of World Penguin Day, and it should definitely be shown to young students in schools every year on this day. It may not solve the problem, but it would absolutely plant the seed in the minds of children and perhaps set off a cascade of burning questions that they would then bring home. The Plastic and the Penguin would benefit from a longer runtime but given the clear indication that it’s intended to be more of an alerting piece than an in-depth and educational one, it works quite well. The direction and editing from West is superb. His eye for capturing the world in its beauty, whilst capturing the destruction that continues to cripple animal kingdoms, deeply affecting their way of life, is astonishing. The only gripe is that the narration lacks some enthusiasm. It’s not that it’s terrible, and as mentioned before, this is clearly aimed at children, but some sharper direction for certain lines would have improved the film significantly. That said, The Plastic and the Penguin boasts some truly stunning cinematography and it wouldn’t surprise me if West continues on down this path of documentary filmmaking, maybe even collecting some awards along the way. - #TaryllBaker

★★★★ Directed by: Piero Cannata Written by: Piero Cannata Starring: Daniele Marotta, Monica Zanforlin, Marilea Vaglica Film Review by: Vikas Yadav A screenwriter plays with his characters in the same way a kid plays with his plastic toys. They kill, resurrect or change attributes of the subject according to their will. When writing a story, the writer turns into a god ruling over the fate of their dramatis personae. On paper, they create or change the rules of reality according to their choice. So what happens when two screenwriters meet or work on a story together? Ideas are tossed around, and one tries to improve upon or outdo the other. This is what Daniele Marotta and Monica Zanforlin do when they brainstorm for a horror story together. The twist: They put themselves in the shoes of the protagonist. Another twist: They create a loop of story within story within a story and so on. As Monica describes the details on her laptop, the same things happen around her. If she, for instance, has just written "The door creaks." Then the door creaks immediately. But Script does not show you the "real" story. Danielle and Monica get killed multiple times, and every time they die, we come to know that they are murdered inside a story narrated by either of them. I am not able to recall, but one of the Scream movies starts with the same conceit of killing the character within several layers of a dream. Of course, Script is not situated in a dream sequence. Or is it? Slasher element aside, one can take a deeper look within this ghostly affair. The difference of opinion between Daniele and Monica is quite evident: writers trying to compete. But you can interpret the ghost, played by Marilea Vaglica, in another way. (Spoiler starts here) The ghost can be regarded as the film director who gets the final say in the procedure. The screenwriters can produce whatever story they want. They can spend months or years filling up the pages. But, in the end, it may get rejected or modified as per the needs of the director. Daniele and Monica amuse themselves with their diegesis. The ghost, however, diminishes their worth by altering not just their story but also their roles. The duo thinks they are the heroes of the narrative. But they are unaware that someone else is pulling strings. In simple words, the director always walks away with the credit while the writers mostly live in the shadows. (Spoiler ends here) Piero Cannata constantly and swiftly cuts to different angles, heightening the tension. This editing trick keeps you on edge. The film’s technique makes it susceptible to dullness as the surprise tends to dissipate after we catch hold of the narrative device, which here is a story within a story. But Cannata holds your attention by using rollicking twists and - this is the most important part - by wrapping it up under nine minutes. Script is short, snappy, and a whole lot of fun.

★★★ Directed by: #CharlesRoss & #MukeshAsopa Written by: #RajeshAsopa, #TwinkleAsopa, #StephenBankIV & #JessicaGolding Starring: #MukeshAsopa, #ChristineSaade, #LeeSandford, #VoytekSkrzeta, #GlendaMacInnis Film Review by Taryll Baker Jules Akola (Mukesh Asopa), a newly appointed government official claims to halt rising underground street crime, namely drug lord Sydney Smalls (Peter Simmonds) and wingman Tio Spence (Jason Soule). Once Tio learns Smalls is playing favorites, he regretfully employs two petty criminals, Aaron (Dave Bath) and Moor (Khalid Klein) to investigate. Jules, now alleged of murder, is sought by the lovely Angie (Lee Sandford), a covert cop whose persuasive charm leads Prudence (Christine Saade), Jules’ fiancée, in the arms of Fischer (Voytek Skrzeta), a wayward clergyman who Jules inadvertently confides in. Chambers Gate, directed by Charles Ross & Mukesh Asopa, is an ambitious and gritty crime drama that follows an array of intriguing characters through sprawling scenes and a twisted net of mystery. Featuring a big cast with fairly strong performances from all, this speedy feature film packs a punch; with various location shoots and character conflict. The story is a little loose in terms of structure, and the way it cuts from character to character as they unload lots of dialogue can be difficult to follow, but the performances just about hold it all together. Ross and Asopa’s handling of violence is admirable; they restrain from showing the viewer too much and leave it more to the imagination. For example, one scene shows a woman held at gunpoint but we see it through her perspective, the gun pointed at us, which gives off a more visceral edge. There are other moments sprinkled in but for the most part, this is a crime film that focuses more on characters than the crime itself. It seems as if Asopa likes to present more emotional, more fleshed out personalities in his work, rather than spending too much time on anything outside the heads of his characters. Chambers Gate uses up a lot of its duration with actors like Sandford, Bath and Klein, which all deliver superb support for the leading performers. There are even a couple of humorous lines to lighten the mood and thankfully don’t feel out of place; tonally perfect. Featuring a great original score by Gilbert Gabriel and decent camerawork which captures dialogue scenes very well, Chambers Gate is clearly carefully made; with a lot of care going into the writing of characters and their internal motives. The visual aspect of the film is perhaps more entertaining than the concept and execution, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. The film focuses on crime and all the corruption and deceit that lies within the underworld, how it affects people and relationships. It can be overwhelming when it presents the audience with too many character threads at once, but ambition is appreciated and though not an amazing feat, what Chambers Gate offers up can be enjoyed. Chambers Gate is an entertaining film, but it can be confusing and gives off a feeling of being submerged in storylines without much time to breathe. But above all else, it features great performances with brilliant camerawork and a solid music score. Watch the trailer for Chambers Gate below. - #TaryllBaker

★★★ Directed by #JesseNoahKlein Written by #JesseNoahKlein Starring #SarahSutherland Film Review by Rachel Willis Is there ever a good reason for leaving your family? And if you come home, can you expect them to welcome you with open arms? Writer/director Jesse Noah Klein examines what happens to a family when a mother who left them behind wants to return in Like a House on Fire. When the film opens, we’re not sure why Dara (Sarah Sutherland, Veep) has left her family. But we know from the beginning she wants to be let back in, and that she wants to see her daughter. Her husband, Danny (Jared Abrahamson), isn’t sure he wants that to happen, especially since their almost 4-year-old daughter, Isabel (an unspeakably adorable Margaux Vaillancourt), doesn’t remember mama. Dara’s backstory, as it unfolds, helps the audience sympathize with her disenchantment upon finding her family hasn’t waited for her. But there’s also sympathy to be had for Danny, and particularly, Isabel. This is not a situation with a clear villain, but a nuanced look at the ways in which families can fall apart. The film’s best moments come from Sutherland. She conveys the desperation of a woman who needs to reconnect with her daughter, as well as the hope that things will turn out the way she wants. Whenever her efforts are thwarted, we feel her devastation. Dara’s initial meetings with Isabel are touching. Dara’s joy and disappointment commingle whenever she’s with her daughter. It’s the rest of the film that doesn’t always live up to its character. There are some needless character conflicts that detract from the story’s focus. Dara’s stepmother (Amanda Brugel – a fabulous actress) is a thorn in her side – but the reasons why are unclear. There’s a stepsister (perhaps a half-sister?) who comes and goes without much to do except provide another reason for the stepmother’s animosity. It doesn’t seem as if much thought went into these two characters. The college boy that Dara meets and befriends at the park is the film’s messiest issue. The time Dara spends with him would have been better devoted to digging into the larger family issues surrounding Dara – both with her husband and daughter, as well as her father and his family. As it is, a lot of the issues and relationships in the film putter out. There’s an imbalance that sways the film one way and another, but never lands the audience on solid ground. Which is perhaps how Dara feels all along. #RachelWillis

★ Directed by #AndyPalmer Written by #CarlosAlazraqui #JillMicheleMelean Starring #CarlosAlazraqui #JillMicheleMelean #RobertBelushi Film Review by Samantha Harden What would you do if everyone in your small town turned into a bloodthirsty zombie after eating sausage from an esteemed food truck? Witness Infection is the story of three friends Carlo (Robert Belushi), Gina (Jill-Michele Melean) and Vince (Vince Donvito), who try to save themselves and the people they love from the zombie infection rapidly spreading through their hometown. Writers Carlos Alazraqui and Jill-Michele Melean deliver humor, but the emotion is lacking. There are so many perfectly placed references from classic movies like Raiders of the Lost Ark, Pulp Fiction and The Godfather. Carlo’s dad (Carlos Alazraqui) even makes a reference to Miller’s Crossing, telling his sons to “always leave one in the head.” Still, Witness Infection misses the mark when it comes to creating a unique and unforgettable screenplay. It does, at times, add to the film. Andy Palmer’s direction only seems to cancel it out. Palmer chooses camera angles that don’t make sense and create noticeably unnatural transitions. So unnatural that it takes away from the focus of the movie, and it’s hard to maintain interest when so little of the film surprises. Zombie apocalypse movies have been done countless times. Witness Infection is too similar to every other zombie movie to be remembered. Nothing really stands out until we get to see Rose (Monique Coleman) dominate the screen. The heroic trio finds Rose at one of the few bars in town, still defending herself and the bar. She refuses to be the black character that dies before the end of the movie. Declaring that she isn’t going to give up, Rose claims the most memorable quote from the film: “I am not Samuel L. Jackson in Jurassic Park. I am not Yaphet Kotto in Alien, nor am I Dwayne mother fucking Johnson.” Unfortunately, after that amazing performance, we don’t see her again. Palmer cut out the one thing that kept me interested in his film and left me instead with three of the most stale and even at times frustrating characters in the movie. #SamanthaHarden

★★★★ Written & Directed by: #HarryPages Starring: #ChrisMills, #AliceMulholland, #TomOBrien, #EllieDay Short Film Review by Taryll Baker A lacklustre smoker makes the startling discovery that each cigarette that he consumes ends up brutally killing somebody close to him, leading to a nightmare of guilt and addiction as he struggles to quit the habit that won't let him go so willingly. You know, sometimes a story only needs to be small. A small concept inspired by something as little as the “smoking kills” print on the side of a cigarette packet. How many times have we seen those words in our existence? It’s essentially an image we see nearly every day even if we don’t smoke ourselves. For writer and director Harry Pages, those two words sparked an idea. What if smoking a cigarette didn’t gradually kill the user, but instead, instantly killed whoever was nearby at the ignition of the lighter hitting the white tip? Smoking Kills is a fantastic psychological horror that takes this concept and drops it into the conscience of the unnamed man (Chris Mills) in the film. Working as both an educational piece as well as being a thrilling and brilliant short film, Smoking Kills throws out gore and jump scares for a more grounded, mentally trying experience for the character. The man is introduced as someone with a smoking habit, something he’s clearly trying to quit. As he sparks up his first cigarette, we hear a thud. And then another, and another, and another, until he realises after a few more that his addiction may just be the cause of strange and unexpected deaths around him. Using only sound and music as a storytelling device — as well as the visual of course — the lack of dialogue emphasises the weird, somewhat jarring impact of the thuds as people drop to the floor with every puff of smoke he takes. Given there being no spoken words, the director places focus on the actors’ faces, and their performances are fittingly understated for the material. In terms of story content, the thread is thin and solely set on this one man’s experience with smoking, his understanding of the situation and then his attempt to quit for good… and then the final moments offer up a surprising shift for him, and the cut to black is a satisfying one. The quirky music by Oscar Lockey brings an eeriness to the film; there’s a touch of roughness within the instrumentation and a somewhat “sciencey” influence to it. Whether that’s intentional or not, it gives the story a certain funky flavour that just works. Smoking Kills brings forward the issue of addiction while entertaining viewers with an exaggerated but grounded story that places attention on the importance of rehabilitation and consequence. The performances are respectfully restrained and the focus on visual storytelling is superb. This is recommended viewing. Watch the entire film Smoking Kills below. - #TaryllBaker