The Reckoning of Darkness

It's no surprise that "The Reckoning of Darkness" has been raking in awards at most of its festival appearances. From the direction, to the cinematography, to the performances, this is an amazing production. Director Christopher Kulikowski has assembled an impressive team to help realize his vision, capturing a rich period romanticism that's the equal or better of many mega-budget productions. The acting, led by Paul Fox as Victor Frankenstein, is subtle and believable. Jessica Spotts also stands out as a local who finds Victor washed up onshore of a remote British island. But honestly, there are no weak links to be found anywhere among the cast or crew.

We are offered glimpses of the Creature, both in flashback as an angelic-looking "Adam," and as the woeful monster into which he devolves (an impressive makeup by Jonathan Thornton and David Charles). Since this short is meant to serve as a proof-of-concept for a feature-length production, the viewer is left tantalized and wanting more after the film's fleet 26-minute runtime. Well, the "proof" is certainly there onscreen. One can only hope someone steps up to secure financing to finish the director's vision. It's well deserving of it.