Here’s another review round-up where I highlight the films playing as part of the ‘Midnight Shorts Competition’. In my last post I highlighted some of the comedic centric short films (“Flick,” “Flex” and “Puss”) in this 13-film slate and you can find that article here.
I want to highlight three shorts from the programme that I found had a heavy focus on atmosphere and character. Read on below for write-ups of “The Moogai,” “Significant Other” and “The Thing That Ate The Birds.”
‘The Moogai’
Written and directed by Jon Bell, “The Moogai” is a short, Aboriginal psychological horror film from Australia. It’s about a family who believes a spirit wants to take their newborn son. The film is gorgeously shot (by Sean Ryan) and has so many creepy moments and such a good atmosphere.
From the moment where Sarah (Shari Sebbens) falls asleep and then sees a small Aboriginal girl sitting in the darkness in the corner of the room, this had my attention throughout. There’s a lot of psychological torment here, too, where we wonder if it’s only the mother that’s being affected by these actions. I also wondered if this was merely a commentary on postpartum anxiety or just a story about maternal instincts kicking in to protect their child. This is also because her husband, Fergus (Meyne Wyatt), isn’t experiencing what she’s seeing. I believe some of the meaning definitely got lost on me, but it’s still so strong.
The horror feels very real at times, though, especially in one scene where the camerawork plays such a role where the mom looks in a corner because a girl tells her that the spirit is watching. The mom looks and the camera goes to an extreme height and looks down at her as she runs. It’s the unsettling sound effects and way the camera is positioned that shows the strength of filmmaking here, as we know everything we need to without seeing the creature.
I won’t spoil anymore here, but it’s a well-directed short that has its fair share of creepy, atmospheric moments and memorable imagery. I definitely got some strong “The Babadook” vibes, and I don’t say that just because they’re both Australian films; they’re both genuinely haunting.
‘Significant Other’
Written and directed by Quinn George, “Significant Other” is a story about a couple who have a discussion about a red orb in their house. Abby (Autumn Hanna) is in a hallway flicking the light on and off, transfixed to the ceiling where the light is. Her boyfriend Paul (Matt Micucci) gets out of their shared room and wonders what she’s doing. She says there’s a red orb there; but it’s one that he cannot see.
It’s a short that you can’t say much about without spoiling it all, as there’s some interesting imagery with the orb, but there’s not much of a disagreement between them as the synopsis suggests. Abby can see it and Paul can’t, and that’s really the disagreement. I think my favourite aspect of the short was the main music theme by Jake Staley as it’s just generally atmospheric and creepy.
Visually, too, the short is interesting because of the red hues it gives off, but story-wise it leaves a lot to be desired as it doesn’t answer much about what the purpose of the red orb. There’s surely atmosphere to it, but not enough substance comes out of this short as they stare at the ceiling.
‘The Thing That Ate the Birds’
Sophie Mair and Dan Chitsam’s “The Thing That Ate the Birds” follows Abel (Eoin Slattery), a Head Gamekeeper who discovers the thing that has been eating his grouse. When he shoots first instead of asking questions, it creates a ripple effect that brings the violence back home with him and to his relationship with his wife, Grace (Rebecca Palmer).
Set on the North Yorkshire Moors, one of the strongest components of “The Thing That Ate the Birds” is how lovely the settings are and great the cinematography, by James Oldham, complements it. It’s beautiful to look at, both in the day where we can see everything and at night when it’s more tense. As well, certain FX (by Simon Carr) or editing (by James Taggart) look great, especially when Grace accidentally steps on a piece of glass. I’m not sure if this is faux glass but it definitely looks like she steps on it, and if there’s a disguised edit before she steps down, it’s seamless. The way they illuminate certain scenes, too, is memorable.
The aspect of the film with Grace and Abel’s crumbling relationship is interesting. As Abel’s doing his job, Grace is on the phone with a friend saying, “He’s never going to change.” The true reason of why their relationship and that specific context remains unspoken; but we can feel the tension in every chop of vegetables and the dialogue. There’s enough here with their dynamic and the mystery of the horror that this could be a strong story at feature length. I enjoy it when something like this can stand on its own but also leaves you wanting more with another rendition of the story.
This film has strong effects and some neat use of gore, when it’s used outdoors and indoors, as well, and there’s some imagery here that is very memorable. The horror very much lives in dread as Abel stalks around the scenes with his shotgun drawn. As well, I won’t spoil what exactly has been eating the birds, but the thing looks cool and I enjoy the tongue-in-cheek aspect that this character is indeed named The Thing That Ate the Birds (and is played by James Swanton).
