Greetings again from the darkness. Filmmaker Jonathan Grazer is known for two things: making music videos for Radiohead and Blur, and for the unusual and thought-provoking feature films he makes - SEXY BEAST (2000), BIRTH, and UNDER THE SKIN (2013). His most recent short film is only six minutes long, yet plays like both a horror film and a societal commentary.
We open on some trees at the edge of a forest. One tree stands out as its branches and leaves are rustling briskly. The camera pulls in and we see a group of masked folks violently shaking the tree as another masked person desperately clings to the trunk after climbing out of reach. What follows is very much like watching someone else's nightmare ... the kind of nightmare that elicits a cold sweat and a rude awakening.
The percussion and sound effects are perfect compliments to what we witness, and the sound is crucial right through the end credits. We never see an actual face, but Mr. Grazer generates extreme tension with just a few scenes and no dialogue. The commentary on mob mentality is spot on for what's occurring these days, and the film will jolt you accordingly.
