Continuing my coverage of the 50th Annual WorldFest-Houston film festival, here are reviews for six thriller/suspense short films recently screened: She Came Knocking (d: John Ainslee), Whack (d: Syni Pappa), The Swelling (d: Tom Bewilogua), Tango on the Balcony (d: Minos Papas), Thirteen (d: Sasha Sibley), and Satisfaction (d: Kat Webber).
For more information about WorldFest-Houston, be sure to check out their site.
She Came Knocking
Written and Directed by John Ainslie
“When a woman witnesses what she believes is a husband abusing his wife, she ignores standard procedures and takes matters into her own hands.”
This is my favorite short film I’ve seen thus far at Worldfest. It is easy to like the main character, who just wants to do good, but is unable to get any sort of support from anyone she reaches out to. It makes it more believable when she does absurd things to try and resolve the situation on her own.
Once the story got to that point, the tension was so high that I was on the edge of my seat. The ending is so satisfying, despite leaving a few lingering questions. If you get a chance to watch She Came Knocking, definitely do so.
Whack
Written and Directed by Syni Pappa
“In the near future decadent metropolis of Athens, suicide is illegal while citizens have no other desire but to die.”
Whack is a strange film. In this alternative future, everyone wants to die, but the government doesn’t want people to kill themselves, so they offer a discount on your taxes if you’ll turn in would-be suiciders. Of course, that doesn’t stop several people from killing themselves regardless. Whether by gunshot, noose, explosions, or even a trip to a good-old-fashioned suicide booth.
Honestly, Whack is a collection of really short films with a common theme. It’s got a few cringe-worthy moments, but it also has a few that just make you laugh. For such an odd, disjointed film about suicide, I enjoyed it quite a bit.
3.5/5
The Swelling
Written and Directed by Tom Bewilogua
“In the near future, surveillance is omni-present. Cameras and drones belong to the common cityscape like traffic lights. The sky is gray and environment seems dead. Here “X-33“ lives in a rundown apartment complex, where strange things occur. A peculiar and pulsing bulge like object in the wall follows him permanently at every turn. Increasingly “X-33“ falls into a nightmarish paranoia. Is his follower real? And if so, will he get rid of him?”
The Swelling is a tense movie from start to end. From the moment “X-33” attempts to enter his apartment and is interrupted by a weird pulsing light in the walls, I had no idea what was going on. Is sit surveillance? Is it a hallucination from working in a mine? Who knows. All I know for sure is that this film had some outstanding practical effects, and a soundtrack that really gets the blood pumping. It’s worth your time.
3.5/5
Tango on the Balcony
Written and Directed by Minos Papas
“Johnny is an Iraq war veteran who wrestles with post traumatic stress and the transition to civilian life. He is tormented by an incessant hyper vigilance and insomnia, and the lingering questions of his past actions in combat.”
Tango on the Balcony is one of, if not THE BEST, portrayals of PTSD I’ve seen in film or television. As a viewer, you feel the constant tension and readiness to react that the character is experiencing throughout the entire film. On top of that, you experience his self-doubt about the things he did during the war, and watch as he tries to find a way to cope with a truth he doesn’t want to face.
This was not the type of film I was expecting to see in the suspense/thriller category, but it definitely has enough tension to belong. It made an impact on me, and I’d recommend it to anyone.
4/5
Thirteen
Written and Directed by Sasha Sibley
“A female CIA operative is captured by ISIS and between being tortured and interrogated, finds herself in a tent alone with one of the ISIS militants, who it turns out is only a thirteen year-old boy.”
The plot of Thirteen is pretty well explained in the synopsis. The only thing I can really add is that there is a lot of chemistry between the two characters, and the film has more heart than you’d expect. The beginning fell a little flat for me, but overall it was an emotion-driven story, that was worth seeing once.
3/5
Satisfaction
Written by Dana Fradkin and Directed by Kat Webber
“Maryke is unsatisfied. The world around her continues to turn but she feels stifled. When a rage of jealousy and violence at her wedding sends her into a mental hospital, she gets more desperate. After bonding with two women there, the relationship begins to mirror that of her fiancé and sister’s. Experimenting with time, place and perspective, this story explores Maryke’s mental breakdown as she attempts to seek satisfaction. We are no longer sure when we are in reality and when we are in fantasy and Satisfaction plays out from her point of view; mystifying, unbalanced and uncomfortable.”
I usually love stories with unreliable narrators. I love to be in the dark as to what is real and what is only being perceived… Yet for some reason, Satisfaction just didn’t grab me the way most of those types of stories do. The actresses were all likable and the story made sense, but I just didn’t find myself invested in it due to the awkward timing of the perspective changes. I wish the story had started in the mental facility and we’d learned about the wedding from flashbacks, instead of jumping around constantly.
2.5/5
Stay tuned for more coverage of the 50th Annual WorldFest-Houston!
