I was extremely lucky to have the opportunity to watch this short a few days ago and I was truly blown away by what unfolded before me.
I've found over time that everyone has a varying point of view in regard to what they believe to be the right way to produce a horror story. It's not a rare thing to find countless threads full of avid fans telling others that their time was the best for this and that. There is nothing wrong with that; we all have the right to our opinions and further so the right to defend them.
In keeping this in mind, I feel that what I saw was one of the best shorts I have seen from an up and coming director/production team that I have seen in the last year. This short manages to do what every truly good horror story, or any story for that matter does, in being a fantastic production regardless of genre, simply utilizing a specific genre to create the atmosphere that we are to take the message in. It's like telling a story around the fire, the same story can be told twice with a different effect each time; once by a father of 2 and once by a deranged little girl with a penchant for sadomasochism, well.... you get the idea.
the production quality is superb for the budget and you get the feeling that you are watching the work of a group of very talented and enthusiastic up and comers that equals and in many cases far surpasses the production quality of heavily funded ventures here in Australia. The set design is minimal with good impact, just enough to appreciate while leaving the focus on the three players. The makeup is fantastic, as is the prop work, there isn't really an object sitting anywhere in frame that hasn't been given attention.
The sound is very atmospheric, sparse and truly effective when used. If you are able to get a DVD of this I would highly recommend viewing it on a system that has decent speakers as it will really lift the entire experience (more so than just the standard difference in poor to good sound setup).
As for the squeamish, there are parts here that will sicken some more unseasoned film-goers but it's not from pointless gore or horrible CGI; it's created honestly through chilling performances and excellent production values. Watching Courtney Monsma (Little Girl) pursue her insatiable need for violence and manipulation is truly disturbing, but it's in the best of ways. The clowns, Darrell Plumridge and Andrew Nathan, are excellent, and while I did very much enjoy "The Other Clown" (Andrew Nathan) it is the beyond her years turn as Little Girl that has Courtney Monsma as the most noticeable here.
While some parts of the premise have been done before, the writing here does serve to keep it feeling fresh and uniquely dark, this coupled with well credited cinematography and the excellent production values mentioned above makes this one to look out for. There is sweetness here as well, lots of sadness and plenty of regret.
Overall, as mentioned above, I thoroughly enjoyed this short and would recommend that anyone give it a go, despite what your tastes might be, this will definitely be a rewarding experience, with the only major drawback being that it's too short (14 Min's).
And would someone please give that girl a hug.
