Short Film Reviews: Fantasy

The Wretched Prologue:

It only makes sense to start this list with a movie that's one word away from sharing a title with the Vocal challenge behind the list's creation. Set in 395 A.D., Roman Centurion Markus Valerus (Nicolas Charles) leads his soldiers in a battle against the ruthless barbarians that wish to lay siege on the Roman Empire. But they're in for a much greater fight when a horrific virus strikes the barbarians and turns them into bloodthirsty cannibals. Having been made to spark interest in a feature script simply entitled The Wretched, this film certainly lives up to the "prologue" part of its title. If it weren't for the credits that follow the ending title card, a casual viewer could think they've just watched the opening sequence of a period zombie thriller.

But when viewed as a finite movie rather than just a piece of one, The Wretched Prologue is pretty mediocre. Starting on an aesthetic level, the budgetary constraints are visible in plenty of places. The action sequences are poorly edited/executed, the audio is sometimes muddled, and the special effects range from passable to dodgy. The story is also your standard war drama where neither side is truly in the right. Some interesting points are raised about the pointlessness of war and how much a warrior should be expected to sacrifice in the name of their country. But thanks to the uneven pacing and abrupt ending, these points don't get much room to grow.

The acting is what keeps The Wretched Prologue from scoring too low. Occasionally incomprehensible accents asides, everyone's acting is solid--especially that of the main players. Nicolas Charles, Bob Mclean, and Joey Kern each exude all the necessary valor and strength to portray Centurion Markus, General Commodus, and soldier Quintus Antonius respectively. Ashlynn Yennie also gives a strong performance as Markus's wife Claudia, selling her character's boldness when she briefly chastises Commodus for his continued support of the senseless war Rome has thrust her husband into. Overall, though, if The Wretched Prologue is ever made into a feature-length film, "reworking the script" will definitely need to be at the top of the filmmakers' to-do list.

Score: 5 out of 10 fallen comrades.

Forbidden Fruit:

In an irreverently comedic take on a classic biblical tale, Forbidden Fruit sees Mother Nature (Jenni Burke) conspire with God to give the Garden of Eden what it needs to be complete: Adam and Eve (Jon Cor and Krysta Carter). Things seem good at first, but a tempting apple and a devious serpent (Paul Amos) are about to turn it all upside down. Devout Christian viewers need not cringe at that synopsis. While Forbidden Fruit certainly takes some humorous liberties with the story of Adam & Eve, it doesn't get too blasphemous. As for the comedy itself, there's a good amount of laughs to be had and most of the actors work well with Tommy King's script.

Jenni Burke and Jon Cor are the best of the bunch as sassy Mother Nature and skater bro-esque Adam. Barry Flatman makes good use of his short appearance as God's "designer" Gabe, as does Paul Amos as the film's leather-clad interpretation of Lucifer. Krysta Carter, however, stands out as the wilted flower of the garden thanks to her one-note performance and the bland Eve-related jokes. But while it may not be a perfect comedy short, Forbidden Fruit is still worth checking out if you have 14 minutes to spare and aren't put off by a little religious satire.

Score: 7 out of 10 "love gloves."

Tree House Time Machine:

Despite the objections of his best friends, 12-year-old Charlie (Steele Stebbins) is intent on using his makeshift time machine to go back in time and save his deceased mother. But with the arrival of his friends Puck and Vincent (Elisha Henig and Caleel Harris) and a few other uninvited guests, will Charlie's mission be a success? Much like The Wretched Prologue, Tree House Time Machine is a short film that ends right when it seems its main plot is about to start. What's more, the synopsis speaks of a deeper story that we never get to see. It implies that there's a mystery surrounding the death of Charlie's mother and that the time machine he's using is stolen, but these plot points are nowhere to be seen in the actual movie. Instead, most of the action boils down to Charlie squabbling with his friends and the other two people who arrive unexpectedly at his tree house.

Thankfully, Tree House Time Machine is made enjoyable because of the young actors' chemistry together. While their characters' bickering can get annoying, Steele Stubbins makes for a great lead and shares strong chemistry with Elisha Henig and Caleel Harris. If nothing else, they're certainly believable as a trio of weird but loyal best friends. Emily Alyn Lind is incredibly charming as Puck's crush Maggie while Austin Fryberger is hilarious as her obnoxious older brother Bobby. The climax noticeably features some fantastic special effects, but the final revelation comes out of nowhere and does nothing but provide more unanswered questions to the pile of unanswered questions this movie accumulates. Still, thanks to the cast's efforts, Tree House Time Machine is a decent watch if you can deal with a cliffhanger ending that's frustrating rather than intriguing.

Score: 7 out of 10 pinky swears over walkie-talkie.

Knock Knock:

The next short film on this list also follows a group of three friends: Val (Skyler Vallo), Jamie (Danielle Savre), and Hanna (Galadriel Stineman). While hanging out together, Val is convinced by her friends to play "The Knock Knock Game," a game that allows the players to communicate with the dead. But this is one game where if you break the rules, there are dire consequences. Ironically, you could make a drinking game out of all the horror clichés that appear throughout Knock Knock. After a certain point, even a non-horror aficionado is sure to know how the story is going to end. However, Knock Knock proves that when done right, a film made up of familiar tropes can still be entertaining. While the plot flow is on the generic side, it effectively builds tension as Val reluctantly agrees to play the game and we nervously wait for it all to go sideways. When it does, the results (while predictable) are horrifying, especially when you consider the context behind what transpires.

While the characters they play are the expected horror archetypes, the actresses for Knock Knock give strong performances. Skyler Vallo is sympathetic as Final Girl-type Val, Danielle Savre is amusing as the loud and brash Jamie, and Galadriel Stineman makes Hanna a likable middle ground between her two polar opposite friends. SPOILER ALERT Rounding out the four-person cast is Zoë Lister as Ivy Rose. Lister does a great job making Val's dead aunt a siren-esque malevolent spirit, using tender words and manipulating Val's insecurities so she can possess her. Considering how Val spoke highly of her aunt and was visibly sad about the brutal way she was murdered, seeing Ivy Rose betray her niece so heinously is equal parts horrifying and poignant. Spoilers Over So on the whole, what Knock Knock lacks in originality, it makes up for with its well-crafted spooky atmosphere and committed crew of actors.

Score: 7 out of 10 black pentagrams.

Rue:

This is another horror movie about three characters and a supernatural entity. Malory (Morgan Taylor Campbell) has been kept after school following a fight that broke out between her and a classmate (Sarah Grey). Both girls and the teacher watching them (Brad Dryborough) have secrets and regrets--regrets that have placed them in the sights of the local wraith. It's another ghost story, but what puts Rue a half step above Knock Knock is how it does more to avoid feeling overrun with clichés. The modus operandi and design of the titular creature are intriguing and well-designed respectively and Malory is every bit as sympathetic as Knock Knock's Val. While Malory initially comes across as combative and a little menacing, we get to see how sad and broken she is on the inside once she gets a moment alone.

Morgan Taylor Campbell delivers both sides of Malory's personality with conviction and has two just-as-capable co-stars at her side. While she doesn't get much dialogue, Sarah Grey does stellar work communicating her character's fears and regrets through nothing but her body language. Brad Dryborough is similarly convincing as a casually hypocritical and perverted teacher. For all his supposed efforts to understand Malory, he just as quickly dismisses her as angry and spiteful once she alludes to his disgusting secret. SPOILER ALERT Malory's crush on her blonde classmate and the girl's possible reciprocation of those feelings add some tragic subtext to Rue's attacks on the two and adds another gross layer to the teacher's already abhorrent character. Spoilers Over With its script containing a few more nuances and a slightly less banal story, Rue scores a bit higher than Knock Knock on the grading scale.

Score: 7.5 out of 10 bargain bin local ghosts.

The Katy Universe:

The Katy Universe follows its titular character (Mary Holland) as she leaves a voicemail for an ex-boyfriend regarding something that happened at a wedding she attended. However, it quickly becomes clear that this "something" was much grander than catching the bouquet. Set exclusively in one location and helmed almost entirely by one actress, The Katy Universe takes the viewer on a wild ride as Katy recaps how attending a friend's wedding led to her developing bizarre superpowers.

While the movie gets off to a simple start, its story goes from 0 to 100 in a flash and just keeps getting more insane from there. Mary Holland fires on all cylinders as Katy, making you laugh at her rantings one second and making you feel bad for her the next. While The Katy Universe is filled to the brim with some very cynical and downright nihilistic sentiments, it manages to remain upbeat and funny thanks to Patrick Muhlberger's writing and Holland's acting. A weird but enthralling adventure from beginning to end, The Katy Universe packs a lot into 9 minutes and is sure to have you on an emotional rollercoaster the entire time.

Score: 8 out of 10 abandoned dreams of being a novelist.

Big Feet:

Last up is a short-and-simple film about soccer, bullying, and a mythical creature. Thanks to his large feet, Roger (Kyle Goleman) is met with nothing but mockery when he tries out for the soccer team. But after going into the nearby forest to retrieve a soccer ball, he discovers an unlikely ally who might just help him conquer his athletic struggles: Big Foot! Big Feet is easily the most uncomplicated movie on this list, with a plot that could be adapted into a children's picture book. It's so simplistic that the IMDb synopsis basically gives away the entire story.

With that said, Big Feet accomplishes its goal of being a bite-size tale about a boy learning self-confidence from an unusual source. Kyle Goleman gives a decent performance as awkward athlete Roger while the main "soccer bro" bullies (Tadd and Brock) are accurately portrayed by Lucas Adams and Patrick Moynihan. Admirably, the script doesn't go overboard with the Tadd and Brock's dialogue, allowing them to sound like authentically mean-spirited teens. Big Feet is ultimately nothing remarkable and its estimated $700 budget is obvious, especially with how little we get to see of Big Foot himself. But it's harmlessly average , teaches a wholesome moral, and could come in handy as an adequate "to kill the time" short film.

Score: 6 out of 10 Big Foot footprints.

Overall:

Out of the 7 short films discussed in this list, 3 of them earn a solid 7. The other four score rankings within the 5-8 range, with The Wretched Prologue being at the lower end of that range with its drab storytelling and even drabber visuals. But the movie has good acting to counteract its lesser qualities--something that can also be said about Tree House Time Machine and Knock Knock. So for the most part, I'd say this list's stock is as healthy as a newborn dragon. Speaking of, after checking out some of these short fantasy features, be sure to read some of the Fantasy Prologue entries while we wait for the winners to be announced. Best wishes to all who entered!