I just had the privilege to watch SHE, a short film made by Mark Vessey and Chelsey Burdon. It's quite something...meaning it's freaking awesome.
SHE is about a man and woman and how they spend their anniversary together. It doesn't end well for at least one of them. That's about as much as I can say without spoiling anything no, seriously.
There are some great little nods to other films here, and you can definitely tell who and what inspired Mark and Chelsey to make this film. Nosferatu, Antichrist, Tyrannosaur, The Loved Ones, American Mary, it's all there. Speaking of American Mary, there's a shot in this film (or rather, a moment) that I like to call the "obligatory Soska shot". Those who are aware of their work know exactly what I mean and are probably squirming in their seats right about now. It's worse than you think .so much worse. In a good way, still, but oh boy ...
This film is not your standard revenge flick. It does some unconventional things and dips its toes in multiple genres and styles of horror. For instance, there is only one spoken line in the entire film. That's it, just one. This gives our two leads (She - Fiona Dourif, He - Phillip James) all the time to show off their non-verbal skills. It's not only a big challenge for the performers, but for the audience as well. The audience has to figure out what has been going on before the events of this film. They also have to figure out what each person is feeling. If you're not up for that, do not watch this film.
Let's talk performance. Like I said, having this film being mostly silent was the best choice ever (well, next to having Fiona Dourif). There are some very heartbreaking moments and, since the focus is mainly on She, we can all see the utter destruction of She's psyche in her eyes. Fiona handles the material like a pro and truly gives us a breathtaking performance that won't leave your head anytime soon. Phillip James is equally wonderful and both of them truly sell the idea of them having a long-standing relationship gone very, very sour.
The cinematography helps with the voyeuristic style of the film and almost feels like a third character. Even the ones who aren't thinking about production while watching this will notice that the camera does very interesting things and really only shows you what you have to see. Focus is definitely being played with and brilliantly so.
For the lovers of gore, this will not be a disappointing watch. While the film is very psychological in nature and definitely works as a psychological horror, there is a single scene that will make you squirm. It's pretty damn hardcore. The FX are great and the best thing about it: They keep showing it. Thanks a lot, guys *squirms*.
All in all, this is an outstanding debut and I can't wait to see what they come up with next.
SHE is about a man and woman and how they spend their anniversary together. It doesn't end well for at least one of them. That's about as much as I can say without spoiling anything no, seriously.
There are some great little nods to other films here, and you can definitely tell who and what inspired Mark and Chelsey to make this film. Nosferatu, Antichrist, Tyrannosaur, The Loved Ones, American Mary, it's all there. Speaking of American Mary, there's a shot in this film (or rather, a moment) that I like to call the "obligatory Soska shot". Those who are aware of their work know exactly what I mean and are probably squirming in their seats right about now. It's worse than you think .so much worse. In a good way, still, but oh boy ...
This film is not your standard revenge flick. It does some unconventional things and dips its toes in multiple genres and styles of horror. For instance, there is only one spoken line in the entire film. That's it, just one. This gives our two leads (She - Fiona Dourif, He - Phillip James) all the time to show off their non-verbal skills. It's not only a big challenge for the performers, but for the audience as well. The audience has to figure out what has been going on before the events of this film. They also have to figure out what each person is feeling. If you're not up for that, do not watch this film.
Let's talk performance. Like I said, having this film being mostly silent was the best choice ever (well, next to having Fiona Dourif). There are some very heartbreaking moments and, since the focus is mainly on She, we can all see the utter destruction of She's psyche in her eyes. Fiona handles the material like a pro and truly gives us a breathtaking performance that won't leave your head anytime soon. Phillip James is equally wonderful and both of them truly sell the idea of them having a long-standing relationship gone very, very sour.
The cinematography helps with the voyeuristic style of the film and almost feels like a third character. Even the ones who aren't thinking about production while watching this will notice that the camera does very interesting things and really only shows you what you have to see. Focus is definitely being played with and brilliantly so.
For the lovers of gore, this will not be a disappointing watch. While the film is very psychological in nature and definitely works as a psychological horror, there is a single scene that will make you squirm. It's pretty damn hardcore. The FX are great and the best thing about it: They keep showing it. Thanks a lot, guys *squirms*.
All in all, this is an outstanding debut and I can't wait to see what they come up with next.
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