A grief-stricken woman dates a similarly mourning man, only to discover that he keeps the stuffed corpse of his late grandfather taxidermy-style in the bedroom of his remote farmhouse where she is now trapped by a storm and forced to spend one terrifying night with “Grampy.”
Grampy follows Jenny (Kerry Gallagher) and Cody (RJ Pennington), strangers who met at grief counselling and decided to make a date out of a bad situation. The pair meet for dinner at Cody’s place but a strong storm and disturbing revelation make the evening take a twisted turn. The film was written, directed, edited and filmed by Graham Burrell and also features Ralph W. Cashen III as Grampy and Gene Connelly as Dad.
Grampy is pretty campy. While the setting, score and cinematography are all pretty standard for a short film, the acting is dialled up to eleven. This could either be viewed as a stylistic choice by the director or a lack of experience by the cast, with both being equally possible. The cast—in my eyes—seems to be giving more of a stage performance than a screen one. Sentences are slow and deliberate and lines are given very theatrically. This definitely adds to the quirkiness of the film and makes it a little more horror/comedy than simply a horror.
That is not to say that the film is not good. The opposite is the case; Grampy may be campy, but it is a lot of fun. The film manages to keep you guessing (incorrectly) as it progresses. Burrell knows what audiences expect and does his best to misdirect. While that expression may be overused, it is dead accurate in this case. Not one single scene played out as I expected it to. That, alone, is a success in my eyes.
The film is also very professional, as is not often the case with shorts. Everything is cut very clean and neat, with the editing tight and the audio crisp. We were lucky enough to get a 4K version of the film, which, as a critic, is wonderful as we usually have to settle for something watermarked and low res. The attention to detail is impressive as well, with Jenny ruffling though a drawer having at least several different shots edited together impeccably.
Grampy also knows how to tug on those heartstrings, specifically for viewers who have lost a parent or guardian. There are some genuinely wholesome moments amidst the mayhem and madness which—again—makes the film more a horror-light than a full-blooded fright. And that is alright. Not every film needs to garner the attention of the devil himself. He’s a busy guy.
Thanks for reading and as always, stay sordid. While Grampy is still technically doing its festival run, you can catch updates and more info about the film and its creator here. The link also takes you to the YouTube channel where you can see all of Burrell’s previous works. I have added the art and trailer below for your convenience.
