A lonely photographer begins to lose his grip on reality when he spots a mysterious doppelgänger roaming the streets.
Photocopy is an experimental indie film in the suspense/horror genre. Written and directed by Mike Klubeck and starring Dane Clarke II, Photocopy playfully toys with the German doppelganger myth while grounding it in a far more modern perspective; mental health and substance abuse.
Collin (Clarke II) is often seen self-medicating throughout the short, missing moments, minutes, and then possibly hours of his day. As he moves from one awkward situation to another, his reality starts to unravel as he spots his doppelganger—or does he?
The film hints at various themes aside from general substance abuse, including things like self-loathing, self-doubt, anxiety, imposter syndrome and the like. It’s a look at a fractured man through the lens of a suspense film and it works almost beautifully.
I say almost because—although I loved the film in general—I had one major gripe. Clarke II’s acting was phenomenal, the score gorgeous, and the editing superb…but the shaky cam shots when Collin is dashing after his doppelganger made it difficult to keep focus.
I understand that from an artistic perspective, the frantic movement of the camera is meant to personify the urgency and chaos of the situation, but I believe the same effect could have been reached with something a little less volatile and physically straining on the eyes. Shaky camera aside though, there was nothing else to fault.
Photocopy has been officially selected for the National Film Festival for Talented Youth (NFFTY) 2023 as well as for Respective of Jupiter. It is still currently in its festival run so it will be a while before it is available for public viewing but if you are lucky enough to see a screening at a festival this year, make sure to stay in that seat because it is absolutely worth the price of admission.
Thanks for reading and as always, stay sordid. The trailer and poster are below.
The short film has been released Live online and I have posted a link below for your viewing pleasure. Alternatively, you can click here to watch the short.
