The level of creativity and technical skill required to make a short film this creepy and suspenseful on just $175 is astounding.
RACCOON VALLEY held my interest, made me nervous, and a couple of times, outright scared me -- not with jump scares, but with long, something-really-bad-is-going-to-happen scenes that skillfully ramp up anxiety and pull you to the edge of your seat cushion. Often, but not always, these scenes let you down easy while maintaining an inescapable sense of dread.
The lead actress, Terri Czapkeski, her face an expressionless mask, carries the film in spite of the dramatic limits inherent in her approach. She somehow conveys that her character feels fear without melodramatic mugging for the camera.
The idea of a lone, vulnerable, deaf female protagonist battling mortal danger isn't new. HUSH (2016) skillfully used the same device to drive its plot, but it hasn't been done to death, and hasn't been done exactly this way.
Overall, a very nice effort. On a $175 budget, a masterpiece.
