SYNOPSIS:
A homeless woman breaks into the house of a recently deceased man looking for food and shelter, but after lighting a candelabra, a series of disturbing events is set into motion.
Written and directed by Stanley Roubaix and starring the very talented Betty Anyika, Void is a simple short film shot in a single location with a single actress. It is a tense, edge-of-your-seat watch that cleverly produces scares from very simple practical effects. The film has already been released and is available for viewing on YouTube. As such, I will link the film and the poster artwork at the bottom of the review.
The film uses our primal fear of darkness as its basis for its creature, and although we never truly come face to face with whatever it is that lives within the darkness, it is a monster that is familiar to each and every one of us. Roubaix knows how to turn an idea into a well-produced scare and shows that one does not need a fat wallet and fancy effects to tap into that natural instinct to escape from the darkness that so scared our ancestors millennia ago.
Anyika does a sterling job portraying our unfortunate vagabond and the fear and panic she brings to the film come across as genuine. I, personally, would not have stayed in her particular situation after the first light was snuffed out and whatever compelled her character to stay in that room after things become obviously ominous are simply beyond me, but it made for a great short film nonetheless.
Overall, I’d absolutely recommend giving this one a watch. A very clever concept really well executed. It’s just creepy enough and won’t take too much of your time. A link to the film is provided below. Thanks for reading and as always, stay sordid.
