Briar is a fantastic short horror film that I just took in at the Coney Island Film Festival. It centers on the main character Briar and shows how she is, or more accurately isn't, handling her lockdown.
The film opens with a montage of news and images coming through on a television that highlights the state of the world in the early days of the pandemic (bodies being wrapped by people in hazmat suits etc.). The last image is an apartment window where we see a woman looking out through her barred windows and outside gate. A perfect metaphor for the "prison" that we were all in during lockdown.
Once inside the apartment we see Briar. A young woman who is quickly shown to be fed up with her current situation and on the verge of cracking. Recorded phone messages from her father and her psychologist highlight the isolation of Briar from her loved ones. Even though they are there for her they can't be "there" for her. From there we see other traumas that have contributed to Briars condition and leads to it's shocking conclusion.
The direction, editing, score and writing as well as the work of the supporting cast are all fantastic but the two things that really stood out to me while watching are the cinematography and lighting by Arthur Woo. Knowing the limitations of where the film was shot I was constantly amazed at how professional it looked. If I was told that it was shot in a studio I would have believed it. The other stand out in the film is the acting by Brianna Hurley. The character of Briar is a complex one that is a rollercoaster of anger, depression, panic, subtle breakdown and pure murderous rage and her performance is so effortless that you can not help but to give her your full attention.
In short Briar is a fantastically crafted film full of mood and suspenseful horror with a fantastic look and an amazing performance. If you get a chance to see it don't blow it.
