Nite Nite (NR)

“Nite Nite” is a three-minute short from Writer/Director Chad Meisenheimer, which, by the looks of it, is inspired by those stories of boogymen and monsters hiding in our closets we feared as a child. I will say this – “Nite Nite” opens with clear and professional cinematography, a chaotic musical score reminiscent of ‘80s horror, and a familiar enough setting – a boy’s room as he talks to his babysitter about “the monster in the closet.” Horror is a difficult genre to master; independent horror harder still. And while Meisenheimer’s film does many things right to make it a genre throwback, it suffers from simply too short a length to make a stronger impact. 

Meisenherimer, in his early ‘30s, clearly has a handle on, and a love for, filmmaking and directing. With 18 directorial credits to his name, his professionalism pays off with the film’s opening and its flow, which are seamless. The editing is nicely done by Alyse Kollerbohm (who also edited the 2017 short “Whose Trauma is it Anyway?”), and the project runs from start to finish with clean cuts and transitions. 

Rather than set the mood with lingering cams or closeups, I liked that Meisenheimer went for the film’s overpowering score (the music is composed by Evan Oxhorn) as a mood setter, which works flawlessly. It’s composed of organs and screams, reminiscent of late night ‘80s horror-a-thons, something out of “Phantom of the Opera” mixed with Joe Bob Briggs’ “MonsterVision” television series (yes, I’m dating myself here). 

The acting here is well done. I won’t even say it’s well done “for an indie;” it’s just well done period. Tommie Vegas, who plays the babysitter, and Brady Bond, who plays ‘the boy’ have good chemistry together and are entertaining in their short time allotment. Their rapport reminded me of Tommy Doyle and Laurie Strode from Carpenter’s timeless “Halloween” (I have to wonder Meisenheimer’s inspiration from this film, both in the monster angle and in their interactions). I didn’t feel I was watching two actors try to act, but instead enjoyed an authentic relationship. It’s a credit to both the acting and the direction that this is as seamless as it is. 

The film is short, and it’s difficult to discuss the rest without spoilers, but I’ll try. Yes, there’s some allusion to a monster, along with some CGI which I found over the top. I felt, during these scenes, that Meisenheimer was going not for authentic scares but for something this side of satire, though it’s not clear exact what he’s satirizing. Rather than going for subtlety with the monster, it’s rather overt, which takes away some stage-setting and mood. With films like “Paranormal Activity” and “Annabelle” staging frights with little in the way of on-screen horrors, it feels as though Meisenheimer is going for the obvious in a genre throwback attempt rather than working to genuinely make us afraid. 

The ending – which I won’t hint at – does fly in the face of convention to what we’re expecting…kind of. It’s sudden and quick, but, in a movie that is only three minutes in length, there’s not much time allotted to set up more. It’s in this that my biggest criticism of the film comes. It’s simply too short. With the acting, set pieces, and editing skill that Meisenheimer and Co. bring to the table, I would have liked to have seen something running a little closer to ten or fifteen minutes, a timeframe that would have allowed the picture to use tactics like score buildup and POV camera shots to establish the picture’s eeriness. 

But, at the end of the day, “Nite Nite” ins’t that kind of film. What it is is a throwback, a reminiscence, and a love or the horror genre. The movie was nominated for ‘Best Film’ at the Night Terrors Film Festival this year, so take this review for what you will. This isn’t a movie that will terrify you, but it’s an effective exercise in filmmaking. At only three minutes in length, you might as well give it a try. 

– by Mark Ziobro