As the soft sounds of waves crash against the unsettling graveyard scenery, the viewers are introduced to the enigmatic main character that dominates every frame he is nervously present in. Newcomer, Ellis Marsh, gives the viewer a layered, decaying character and in his starring debut, he is nothing short of stellar. He carries with him great confidence, constantly conflicting with his persona that often relies on long takes of no dialogue. The scenery is a product of perfected cinematography, beautifully illustrating the psychological thriller genre, and the confined spaces the characters are in, albeit sometimes a little too claustrophobic, is an aid and a downfall as the viewer feels almost too drawn into the world and in a way these scenes feel rushed, which impacts the emotion each character conveys.
The intense, subtle narrative treads carefully between spoon-feeding the viewer every little detail and being all too ambiguous, which helps create the unnerving atmosphere that soaks each and every frame. Reality is blurred with farce, and as the fine line between the two become increasingly jaded, the viewer is asked to do something most Hollywood films these days don’t: think.
The existence of the character is omnipotent; a constant reminder of the disturbing past that so clearly haunts the characters. In each scene its presence becomes more and more powerful, dominating each frame, and as the tensions build up to the potent climax, the personification of guilt and terror in the hawk-nosed mask becomes a clever trick that gives this short piece a pair of legs to walk on. Though the script lacks the ability to avoid dialogue clichés, it’s apparent that the actions carry much more than the words.
Mathew Dorrell and Hugh Stokes have presented something that, although imperfect and marred with the occasional continuity error, manages to grasp the throat of the viewer and plummet them into the purgatory like state that will worm itself under your skin and haunt for days to come.
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