Synopsis:
After turning on her television, a young woman fears she may not be home alone.
FEED is an award-winning horror short film written and directed by Will Lee. It stars the talents of Noelle Filippone (Naomi), Braian Rivera Jimenez (Brad), and Julia Müller (as the Fingerlady). The short film was produced by Ian Hedman and the score was composed by Marc Giguere. It is on the shorter side of the short film spectrum, running roughly four minutes, but it definitely packs a punch. I’ll add the awards and laurels at the end of the review as the film is doing rather well and I’d like to get the formalities out of the way and dive into the dark, demonic substance instead.
First and foremost, FEED did not break the mould. The film is extremely generic and I’ve probably seen a handful of near-identical plots during my years reviewing horror films and festivals. It’s basically another rendition of the creepy ghost in the mirror trope–oh shit it’s right next to me…*dramatic scare*. I wouldn’t even say that it added anything new aside from the clever, punny title. This is, however, my only critique.
The film itself is perfect, plucked directly from Plato’s realm of forms. It is a masterclass in modern horror. It may be generic, but each key element is flawless. It is genuinely creepy, the creature is scary as hell, and the editing and score come together like virgins and sacrifices. The actors were wonderful and each second of each scene has a purpose. I was on the edge of my seat from start to finish and that is exactly what a short film should do. It creeped me out, which hasn’t happened in a good while. If the plot had been a little more original it would have been a full 5 stars.
Director Will Lee had this to say about the film:
FEED is a film born out of a simple goal: to create a classic horror moment. We felt drawn to slashers and creature features that had those iconic opening scenes where you catch a glimpse of what’s to come. Aesthetics and themes from movies like The Ring (2002) and Pulse (2001) were huge influences. We wanted to capture the dread of the paranormal while staying rooted in a single location.
I’d say that Lee more than succeeded in his goal. FEED could verily be the opening scene to a longer film; one I’d throw money at to see if the feature maintains the quality of the short. I am a sucker for a good creature feature and I feel like it has been a while since I’ve seen something this memorable. Thanks for reading and as always, stay sordid. FEED is currently doing its rounds on the festival circuits so you may have to wait a bit to see it. It will definitely be worth your while though. One of the best I’ve seen this year. Poster and current awards below.
AWARDS THUS FAR:
Best Special Effects – Frostbite International Indie Fest 2020
Honorable Mention – Horror – Los Angeles Film Awards 2020
Best Horror Short – Hollywood Just4Shorts March 2020
Honorable Mention – Narrative Film – Festigious International Film Festival LA 2020
Honorable Mention – Sound Design – Indie Short Fest 2020
Outstanding Achievement – Special FX – Indie Short Fest 2020
Bronze Award – Best Special FX – Independent Shorts Awards 2020
Honorable Mention – Best Sound Design – Independent Shorts Awards 2020
Best Female Actor – Noelle Filippone – Frostbite International Indie Fest 2020
Award of Merit – Web Tube Length Video – The IndieFEST Film Awards 2020
