Daniel Came Home

I was drawn to a local private screening of this short film, as I had enjoyed the director's previous effort-Janet Devis- and was curious to see the follow up.

Daniel Came Home seems to have been inspired by Bob Clark's Dead of Night and possibly the works of David Lynch. It's obviously made on a small budget, but nevertheless packs a considerable punch for a micro-budgeter.

Director Brian Gregory has managed to create a very atmospheric and imaginative film, with unusually effective performances and complimentary music for a short. Actors David Keyes and Adam Eveson are both excellent, while the 70's style, synth-lead soundtrack works very well and sound FX are cleverly used. I have seen many short films and most are pretty forgettable, but this lingered long afterwards like a frenetic fever dream. Recommended.

Filmed on a shoestring budget of an estimated £500, Daniel Came Home is an impressive sophomore foray into short film making - director Brian Gregory's previous short was Janet Devis. The premise is a simple one, but one that is told and presented with great craft and feeling - which should come as no surprise as the director also wrote the short story on which the film is based and which can be read, for example, in The Fifth BHF Book of Horror Stories. As far as I'm concerned, the art of short story telling - both in literature and film - is condensing an idea into a limited space but leaving the reader or viewer with thoughts and ideas about the piece that can take hours to discuss and explore. This is such a piece.

A son, who was serving as a soldier in Afghanistan comes home. However, his return comes as a shock to his father who has just spent the day burying his son. Is this a simple case of someone having been mistakenly reported KIA or a more disturbing return from the grave? A confrontation with the father, who soon reveals himself to be abusive and racist, leads to a shocking conclusion.

I don't know how much time and energy goes into making a film, but I can imagine it's a lot. In this case, I had the advantage of having read the short story first and I was fascinated to see how the director would interpret the images and ideas I had formed from the text. I can say that he exceeded my expectations. The cinematography, Jeanette Gregory's make-up, and the sound design, including Neil Gregory's music, create an unsettling atmosphere and tone that only deepens as the piece progresses. The acting performances are also superb and really capture the tension and terror as it unfolds. I was also struck by how strongly the underlying themes - at least as I interpreted them - are developed and referenced, not only in the dialogue but also visually.

It seemed to me the director is interested in the consequences of poor parenting and homes devoid of love and nurturing, which might also be seen as a wider social issue. For those of us who grew up there, there is an undeniable inherent racism in English life and a violence that comes with it -- it's historical but also very current, a generational trait that like many aspects of life in the UK is hard to eradicate. There's a great image of blood on a flag. I don't know how the director saw that, but for me it's a great visual cue on Britain's responsibility for its role in the world -- both at home and abroad. For a film with such a strong emotional core, it's certain this is a very personal work. I look forward to seeing future productions, possibly a full length feature.

Daniel Merry, We Belong Dead.

I found this short film compelling, despite it being a low budget production. In fact, the film maker makes very good use of the resources at his disposal, so much so that you are left wondering what he could have done had he had a bigger budget to work with. It is gripping almost immediately and I found myself invested in the characters from the start, which I imagine in a short film is no mean feat to achieve. In some ways it reminded me a little bit of Harold Pinter's 'The Homecoming' (i.e themes of a returning son and strong, unresolved grievances towards the father). The production seemed very professional and it is clear that a lot of thought went into this. Overall I thought this was a great effort. Definitely recommend.

Of course, the Internet Movie Database is littered with ill-considered wailing and gnashing of teeth regarding the inadequacies of low (or even micro) budgeted movies. This review is not for the likes of those people, rather it is for those of us that appreciate the difficulties of getting something on screen and love to see non-professional film-makers succeed.

Here, Brian Gregory adapts from his own short story 'Daniel' that was published in the 5th BHF Book of Horror Stories. In many ways, this is a modern British take on Bob Clark's 1974 Canadian classic Dead of Night. In other words, it's about a young man returning home from the battlefield. In both pieces, the audience cottons onto the idea that the soldier might not be all that he once was rather quicker than the parents.

Gregory makes the most of what he's got - the acting is good for a micro-budget project, but the director cleverly limits the amount that the performers have to do, and edits quickly and cleanly to emphasise effect.

The choice of black and white film also benefits the production greatly, light and shade, vague shapes, pulls in and out of focus that are not overplayed but add to a sense of ambiguity and surrealism. There is an easily established creepiness running through the sharp, stark look and the soundtrack rotates between eerie compositions, the sound of thunder and frequently spare dialogue.

There is a striking stillness to the early close-ups of Daniel (Adam Eveson) and a patient lack of speech, keeping the film short's powder dry until necessary.

David Keyes as Jack, the Dad, is a well-drawn character (not caricature) who is inherently racist, casually nasty and betrays a creepy need to invite everyone into his nauseous world view.

The make-up on Daniel does not overplay its hand (perhaps a successful mantra for the whole production). The ear is a surprise (I'm not telling you how!) but otherwise the battle-marked face is suitably suggestive without giving all the answers, even if we think we know where we are being led.

A final blast of gory colour leaves a lasting impact suitable for a film that overall does likewise.

Is it Hollywood standard? Well, no. But it offers a glimpse of talent and good movie-making sense on a shoestring and is well worth your time.