Last year, I had the pleasure of watching a short horror film by filmmaker Kyle Hytonen titled Massacre at Femur Creek. It was an awesome retro-style slasher film that I absolutely loved. Kyle’s style as a director convinced me that he is someone within the indie horror scene to keep an eye on. After viewing the latest short film that he co-wrote and co-directed with Derek Lukosius, I know I was right.
At thirteen minutes long, Infirmity is about a couple who takes an experimental drug for extra cash. This drug has dire consequences for Sara (Heather Dicke), who becomes hopelessly addicted, and Ben (Brent Baird), who tries to stop taking the pills. Their older landlord (Rod McTaggart) gets caught in the middle of their unraveling. All of the actors play their roles well, especially the edgy and quirky nature of Heather Dicke, which really works for me on screen. This is the second time I’ve seen her in film, the first being Massacre at Femur Creek.
The film has a purposefully dreary tone from beginning to end, which makes Infirmity sit a bit heavy. This is not a negative towards the film in the slightest, more of a pat on the back for the cast and crew for being able to convey this in such a short time. However, there is a bit of dark humor throughout the film and a gross-out moment that left a bad taste in my mouth…literally.
The film isn’t incredibly polished, but that works in the Infirmity’s favor. There are times when an indie horror film is more unsettling by just letting the actors and cinematography remain natural. Infirmity isn’t available for the masses yet, as it is just beginning to make its festival run.
Great review!