Length: 06:35
Logline: A hideous sea creature falls for a pretty girl on the shore but turns nasty when his feelings are not reciprocated.
This was an entry into the Vauxhall 48-hour film challenge and looks like it was meant to be in the western genre. That must have been bad luck as there's no real western conventions to be seen so I suspect this was probably well planned in advance. This is more of a creepy dark comedy, possibly a monster movie with a difference. There's definitely a fairytale element to it and it kind of reminds me of the Princess and the Frog story, where an ugly creature can't handle rejection and pesters a girl into submission.
Don't be deceived by the familiar opening shot of a distressed woman running down the road, looking over her shoulders. This won't be anything like what you're expecting. We are quickly introduced to the shrill talking sea creature with no redeeming qualities and the girl he fancies, played by Juliet Valdez, who equally seems aloof and self-centred. Two unlikable characters makes for an interesting combination. It's possible to have empathy for them but certainly not sympathy. The sea creature is warped enough to keep you hooked though as the audience will no doubt want to know how far this thing can go.
The piece is entirely narrated by said sea creature who must have originated from London sewers judging by the cockney accent. The bitter dialogue coupled with the high pitched voice makes for good comedy. Valdez does a lot of sitting on rocks and daydreaming but does well to convey her character through action alone and is very expressive. With a clear structure, the plot flows nicely at a good pace.
The music, done by Z-No, provides an orchestrally layered soundtrack which brings a sense of depth, seriousness, and professionalism to the film. The visuals themselves are tinged with varying colour saturations and soft focus effects which add to the dream like fantasy. For a quick shoot, this has high production values in all areas, especially in prop design and camera work. These combined elements help give substance to the daft puppetry and comical dialogue.
This should have gotten five stars but is minus one because it disturbed me more than entertained me. An engaging story and skilled production none the less.
Best Bit: At least the bloody thing gets killed.
Worst Bit: The relentlessness of the revolting sea creature.
Final thought: I need no more convincing about never going near the sea ever again.
Read a condensed review of this film on Twitter here.
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