'Green Cobra (2020)' is a short film that mixes traditional and mockumentary styles, focusing on a special type of assassin who specialises in torturing her victims to death. Bathed in a sickly green hue, the assassin sadistically inflicts pain on a gagged and bound victim while also conducting an interview for a documentary about the place where she learnt her wince-inducing techniques. The two aspects don't gel together all that well, as one is decidedly dark and the other is overtly comedic; there just isn't the balance that's usually required for 'dark humour' to work. Besides that, the thing is never funny. It is, however, well-made. The torture stuff looks like something straight out of a grim Hollywood thriller, while the to-camera interviews seem like something straight out of 'The Office (2001)'. The lead performance is also markedly good; she makes her character seem almost creepy, as unhinged as she is ultra aggressive, but she's also oddly compelling. Ultimately, the piece is a tonally inconsistent but well-crafted genre mash-up. It's a decent effort. 6/10
