Short Films - Inside the Mind - Festival Reviews

Nap (Directed by Javier Chavanel) 

Four subjects partake in a dangerous study, requiring them to be asleep at exactly 4:30 am; if not, they will suffer fatal consequences. This Spanish short horror has whispers of 'Cube' (1997) and 'Squid Games' (2021-), where the primitive drive for survival is tested against the willingness to succeed, making 'Nap' a dystopian-like, foreboding experiment into the human condition. The intriguing premise is also met with an Orwellian-themed ambience, amplified thanks to the excellent isolated setting and believable performances that ensure Nap remains highly intense right until the credits roll. 

ES (Directed by Giovanni A. Pedde and Vittorino Testa)

A man becomes terrorised by his consistent recurring nightmare, which sees him cruelly executed by a mysterious clan of mediums who see him as an intruder interfering with an ongoing séance. Clad in sheer mystery, with an essence of alluring yet deadly stylised cinema and bundled by a richly immersive cinematography is Giovanni A. Pedde and Vittorino Testa's 'ES'. The short film uses a unique filmmaking strategy which combines pre-realised concepts and footage being enhanced and continued with the use of generative AI, which the filmmakers attest to being a powerful tool for independent creators having access to the advancements previously reserved for big-name studios and such. 

Passion (Directed by Darren Ward) 

A masked killer angrily analyses an array of photographs before admiring an unsettling display of gleaming knives and then going on a vicious rampage of torture, blood and death. This hyperviolent short film is awash with black leather gloves, psychosexual themes, and a bold, baroque style that is neo-giallo in its grittiest of forms. Darren Ward's 'Passion' is precisely what its title denotes; it's a project that oozes an understanding and admiration for beloved Giallo cinema and essentially is a film that brilliantly uses a 'for fans, made by fans' approach to independent filmmaking. 

A Drive At Dawn (Directed by Joe D'Ovidio)

Joe D'Ovidio's 'A Drive At Dawn' is a gripping journey of uncertainty as we follow three men who take a turbulent drive through the night, wrestling with an unspeakable evil that will long haunt and tear them apart. The film is immediately a visually mesmerising ordeal of beautiful imagery that is powerfully interjected with brutal punches of violence, making for a disturbing and unexpected ride. A Drive At Dawn reinforces this sense of trepidation through its storytelling that refuses to divulge the entire story all at once, instead opting for a drip-feed method that gradually and methodically trickles the horrific truth, creating a slow-burning, foreboding experience. 

Alone (Directed by Shian Denovan) 

'Alone' is stellar in its trickery, with the short film doubling down on its confounding creepiness that starts as being eerie and then slowly swells to a terrifying concept. The film shows a woman (Lucy Doyle) as she goes about her daily routine: headphones on, walking with the masses, coffee ordered, and so forth, yet soon she notices that the once crowded city is empty, completely barren of human life, leading to a shuddersome conclusion. Shian Denovan explores the topic of loneliness within life, and how isolation, combined with an increasing disconnect in a busy modern world, can blossom into sinister doom. 

Unravelling (Directed by Aimie Willemse) 

The film sees Fiona (Shona McHugh) caring for her chronically ill grandmother, Maeve (Sheila Grier); however, when she begins to experience a strange transformation, she is forced to confront her own terrifying fears. Having been diagnosed with Relapse Remitting Multiple Sclerosis, director Aimie Willemse creatively uses horror as a vessel to explore the subject of bodily dissonance and what it means to feel an internal battle that only the individual can understand. As such, 'Unravelling' is a detail-oriented, complex and thematic story that boasts some remarkable effects that symbolise the deeply personal narrative. 

Catch the 'Inside the Mind' short films on Sunday, 28th September at 18:00 at this year's Dead Northern Film Festival 

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