This movie makes a very bold choice when you find out that the movie is entirely colorless, a risk that was not pulled off. The worst thing about it is the presentation. While interesting during some parts, the camerawork and framing could have used something more.
But besides that, the movie is well acted, intriguing, and may open your eyes just a little
13 Reviews
Not that good.
invisibleunicornninja23 September 2018
Amazing for the budget
coandcolaptop29 May 2019
Very enjoyable film but the filmography is clearly amateurish. The black and white is a bold choice but shows why films use color. Sepe has clearly improved with his more recent films and while this film jump started his career I cant praise it too heavily. Would reccomend it to anyone who enjoys his style of filming and wants to see his older work.
Very Enjoyable.
aidantwiford27 February 2019
Brilliant first time effort
scraig-5391728 February 2017
Warning: Spoilers
The high is an American short film written, directed, edited by and staring Ralph Sepe Jr. The film is about a teenage boy who gets involved in the world of drugs and drug dealing.
The film is really well directed and also features some great writing, this film is truly inspiring when you know that it was made by a bunch of 16 year old's who had a budget of about $50.
However as with most movies there are some problems, for example the acting for the most part is fine but there are those moments where they slip in quality and sometimes the budget is noticeably low.
this is truly a tremendous achievement for a first time director. I would recommend this to anyone who loves movies.
The film is really well directed and also features some great writing, this film is truly inspiring when you know that it was made by a bunch of 16 year old's who had a budget of about $50.
However as with most movies there are some problems, for example the acting for the most part is fine but there are those moments where they slip in quality and sometimes the budget is noticeably low.
this is truly a tremendous achievement for a first time director. I would recommend this to anyone who loves movies.
Tells a story that could be as real as it sounds.
josephellis8 November 2019
I like this short, its impressive for the budget it has and you could tell that care was put into it. Its also a really good movie for teenagers. I think this because of how the movie goes on about drugs, and shows how they change your life, whether you sell them or use them. This is a good lesson and film for teens as well. The movie is also in black and white, signifying sadness and depression in the main characters life. When he smokes however, the movie is in color and shows weird swirls and effects. Definitely check this one out on YouTube.
Why Short Films Should Be Held To The Standards Of Full-Length Films
nebulous-6378425 November 2017
Ralph Sepe Jr. is one of my favorite filmmakers working today. I'm not gonna say he makes short films because he doesn't. He makes films. The length of a film has never truly mattered to me. What matters is the pacing. The High is paced perfectly, turning 37 minutes into an experience that feels like an epic. What makes the film truly work is Sepe Jr.'s direction. This film is directed with so much passion, creativity, and experimentation. There is never a dull moment thanks to the direction. The writing is great. The dialogue somehow hijacks your eyes as well as your ears because of how well written it is. I truly care about the two main characters and this modern tragedy of how easy it is for a human being to make nothing matter to him. I love this film. It's my favorite of his work so far and I cannot wait for his next film, Lover; I pray since it is supposedly a full-length film that critics will give it enough attention. I know I will.
A film with many problems and few positives
liamthemoviemaker14 December 2018
Warning: Spoilers
Just before the review; as much as i can accept it is hard to make a cheap film like this but that doesn't make it good. Anyway so what makes this film bad? The 4 problems i had with this film was the effects, sound, plot and acting. Let's talk about the acting. I really enjoyed Ralph's acting in 'King Candy' so I was confused when he wasn't good at all in this. I didn't like anyone's acting in this film, it all feels week and unconvincing. Ralph's act might of been good if the sound wasn't cut off every time important dialogue was coming up. They was one point where Ralph (forgot the characters name, very forgettable film) was talking to this guy who was undercover and the was ridiculous, awful music playing over it for like 2 minutes. The film was really inconsistent with the silent dialogue, which was frustrating. The effects were poor. Because this is about getting high they was bits where people were watching high entertainment and it was awful to watch and really boring. The plot was boring and confusing, most of what's happening is unexplained leaving you to figure everything out by yourself, making it confusing. Plus the plot didn't really have a start, finish, or 1st, 2nd or 3rd act. So why not a lower rating? Some shots were fantastic and you could see where 'King Candy' came from. Another positive was when the dialogue wasn't silent it was pretty decent and entertaining for the most part. But overall this was a bad movie and I don't recommend tbh. Go watch 'King Candy' it shows Ralph Sepe Jr at his best
Its good
hasanibrandon11 June 2017
You maybe wondering why I gave it an 8, well The reason is because of its low budget you cant really review it as a regular movie, because it doesn't have the same luxury as Hollywood blockbusters. The only thing I've is that it was made with $50 dollars and it has a pretty good production value for a $50 dollar movie. If I had to rate it like a normal film you go to the Theater and watch, I'd say it's an 7/10, but
if it did have actually money to work with I'd say it would be an 8/10.
if it did have actually money to work with I'd say it would be an 8/10.
A mess, low budget at its most visible
Horst_In_Translation26 January 2017
Warning: Spoilers
"The High" is an American movie in the English language from 2014. It runs for 37 minutes and was written and directed by Ralph Sepe. It becomes pretty obvious on several occasions how Sepe, who also plays the main character, was ambitious and wanted this to become a good product overall, but sadly he came very short. This refers to the shoddy direction, try-hard script and overly-ambitious acting. It is a disappointment in basically every area and if there is anything slightly positive about it, then maybe that the direction is not all the time really bad like most of the rest. The black-and-white vision does nothing either and it did not fit the film in my opinion. It's a mix of crime and drama, maybe even with a thriller aspect occasionally, but honestly it delivers in none of these fields. I truly hope Sepe improved in the last three years, but I have hope for him as he was still pretty young in here it seems. He will step things up hugely though if he wants a long career in the industry because this one here was a complete and utter disappointment. Stay far far away.
Shocking such a movie could be made with such little money
nathanrichardson-1893126 December 2016
Okay so i am going to try to make this review as spoiler free as a review can be. This movie was amazing. One of the reasons this movie was amazing was that is was made with so little money and wasn't aiming to get money. Most movies today are using movies to sell toys (I.E Transformers) or to sell other movies, it was made solely on the purpose to make an interesting movie. This film is about a young boy getting involved with dealing drugs. Sounds like a pretty simple plot but is crafted and directed very creatively. The music is amazing and the acting is very good considering he is only 17. All around great movie and would recommend to all of my friends.
Low budget, but high quality
haxmanandtheghostlynoscopes5 July 2018
I'm not much of a movie reviewer, but I felt this one was worth it. I have no idea how he managed to achieve so much on such a small budget, and still get an amazing story through. This film is living proof that you don't need hundreds of millions of dollars (like in the Last Jedi or Infinity Wars) to tell a story that is not only entertaining, but also makes you stop and think after it's over.
10/10 would recommend.
10/10 would recommend.
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