Written and directed by Ari Groobman, the short horror “Projection” offers food for thought. It’s billed as a horror film — and the end certainly devolves into such — but it offers more. For a film made for roughly $30,000 it looks slicker than it should, and its themes and acting are all on par. However a trigger warning is warranted, as it deals with elements of trauma and fear which may affect some viewers. Atmospherically the film is haunting and morose, and at 12 some minutes it’s effective. However, the material is deep enough — along with its acting — that “Projection” may have fared better with a few extra minutes tacked on to up the tension.
What works most about “Projection” is the acting, especially poignant as most of it rests on its lead, Mikey Gray. She plays Katie with fear, trepidation, and strength. As the film opens, she’s meeting with a landlady to rent an apartment in a seedy part of town. We, the viewers, are alongside her as she hears what appears to be shouting voices from an upstairs window. She doesn’t have a lot of money and this is all she can afford. At the opening, Katie has with her only a dog who sits silently by her side. She assures the landlady the dog was “de-voiced,” meaning it doesn’t bark and it was a rescue. But as the short progresses, it takes on another meaning. Katie and her sister, Haley (Preslea Elliott) have escaped their abusive parents and are trying to start over. “This is all I can afford,” Katie tells Haley while tending to her sister’s bloody lip in the upstairs bathroom.
Atmospheric and Troubling
The atmosphere of “Projection” is eerie, and almost immediately we see sullen figures around the neighborhood taking a keen interest in Katie’s arrival. Some are neighbors, one looks like a handyman, and they all look like they intend to do her harm. The look of the neighborhood space in and around this block reminded me of the rundown, shanty-type look of the streets outside the house in “Barbarian” in that film’s excellent opening before it cycled downward towards cheaper scares. The neighborhood is cast in bright lights during the day, the smooth-stone building looking like something out of “Breaking Bad.” At night, it’s a different story, resembling the lighting of “Weapons,” “It Follows,” or other modern thrillers.
There’s a threat in “Projection,” and as the film progresses we see it in physical form. I’m trying hard not to spoil the film here; because it is so short, the shocks that occur at the end of the film should be kept secret. But there’s also another reason I neglect to spoil them — I don’t think they’re the real point of the film. “Projection” is, at its root, a film about trauma. Director Groobman does a fantastic job painting what psychological and physical trauma looks like.
Trauma and All its Voices
It was an interesting angle, to me, that Katie and her sister were running from abusive parents (being what looks like young adults themselves) rather than Katie running from an abusive husband or the like. And it’s here that I feel Groobman — intentionally, unintentionally — uses the voiceless dog as symbolism. Katie has no voice (particularly to her noxious mother but also her gaslighting father) and has no one to protect her. What happens in the film’s third act is an outpouring of that: Katie is unsafe, vulnerable, and can’t escape her past. Of course it finds her. It always does.
“Projection” is a good film. The score, cinematography, acting, and ambiance are all well done by Groobman and cinematographer Marc Parroquin. Elisabeth Parroquin, who plays mother’s voice, is also harrowing and traumatizing, reminding me of the grandmother in “Red Dragon” or Laurie Metcalf in the recent “Monster: The Ed Gein Story.” The effects that the later film offers, which I’m assuming are practical and not SFX, seem competent for a low budget film. There’s clear ‘projection’ going on in the end of the film — well done — and Katie is a strong-willed character we can root for. Director Groobman himself stated that the film has been a collaboration between many survivors of domestic violence (himself included) and he handles it with deference.
A Solid Indie Film
The film’s finals shots show the emotion, fight, and rage that Katie has put into protecting herself and her sister. And while a less effects-laden/gory ending might have served the material better, it gets the job done. It also helps to separate the film from the aforementioned “Weapons” and “Barbarian.” The threats at the end of “Projection” is used to describe Katie’s psychological state, not garner cheap jump scares or tension. It leaves a solid short film its wake that also allows you to think after the credits roll. And for an indie film that’s less than 13 minutes, that’s a strong accomplishment.
“Projection” is currently available to watch on Vimeo and YouTube. You can watch the film’s trailer in the window below.
