Review of 'Worm' which can be found here at Future Shorts.
Length: 10:35
Logline: A detective tries to solve the mystery of a missing girl whose family believes she has simply turned into an earth worm.
Think the Adams Family crossed with the Royle Family and you might come up with something like this grotesque lot. Adam Shaw takes the lead role as the detective but almost fades into the background compared to the ultra absurd secondary characters. The make-up artists must have had their work cut out creating these weirdo's. Of course, their appearance and portrayals all add to the eccentric plot. Tone and atmosphere have as much importance here as any other element as this appears to be all about entering a bizarre world which blends fantasy, comedy and maybe even noir?
There is has a real feature film feel to it. Vivid colour depth, good camera quality, interesting shot compositions and professional soundtrack all combine to show this was well produced and put together. Compliments also to the set designers and prop people who have really gone to town on creating a unique world. The off-kilter camera work, angled pans and dramatic lighting all aid the surrealist nature of the plot, giving a sense of eeriness and unease to the audience. The hallway shot is a good example of this and where the set design also complements the technical work.
The downfall to introducing such an eye-catching environment is that it takes up a fair bit of setup time to establish it on screen. This is merely a mention and not a criticism though as the viewers will hopefully be too involved in taking it all in to really care about the lacking pace at the beginning. Structure is also well considered and the fact that the mystery isn't truly resolved by the end is no biggie. Although the obscure style might not be to everyones taste, this is certainly an excellent piece of work none the less.
Think the Adams Family crossed with the Royle Family and you might come up with something like this grotesque lot. Adam Shaw takes the lead role as the detective but almost fades into the background compared to the ultra absurd secondary characters. The make-up artists must have had their work cut out creating these weirdo's. Of course, their appearance and portrayals all add to the eccentric plot. Tone and atmosphere have as much importance here as any other element as this appears to be all about entering a bizarre world which blends fantasy, comedy and maybe even noir?
There is has a real feature film feel to it. Vivid colour depth, good camera quality, interesting shot compositions and professional soundtrack all combine to show this was well produced and put together. Compliments also to the set designers and prop people who have really gone to town on creating a unique world. The off-kilter camera work, angled pans and dramatic lighting all aid the surrealist nature of the plot, giving a sense of eeriness and unease to the audience. The hallway shot is a good example of this and where the set design also complements the technical work.
The downfall to introducing such an eye-catching environment is that it takes up a fair bit of setup time to establish it on screen. This is merely a mention and not a criticism though as the viewers will hopefully be too involved in taking it all in to really care about the lacking pace at the beginning. Structure is also well considered and the fact that the mystery isn't truly resolved by the end is no biggie. Although the obscure style might not be to everyones taste, this is certainly an excellent piece of work none the less.
Best Bit: Camera work.
Worst Bit: Overdone facial make-up on the mother.
Read a condensed review of this film on Twitter here.
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