Short Film Review “Hús Kamra (Meat Locker)” It’s “Does anyone REALLY wish to discuss what’s for dinner tonight?” manufactured grindhouse style
WATCH THE TRAILER BELOW:
First, the Recap:
“Mommy? Daddy? Where does beef (or pork, or chicken, et al) come from?” We’ve all heard it before. There is of course the OTHER question along those lines that we’ve ALSO heard before…you know…the whole babies thing…but I digress. It remains true that so often we take for granted, at least in some sense, where indeed certain foods we simply relish actually originated from. It may seem like a small concern to US….but what about to THEM??
In a restaurant, a nameless couple Férfi (male) & Nö (female) (both Dániel Illés), are trying to enjoy a quiet date night dinner, with the latter clearly showing that she is expecting. However, their actual topic of conversation is anything but calm or remotely normal, a shadier dive into the validity and semantics of certain….experiments….that quickly devolves into a waking nightmare when Nö’s water breaks, and the doctors ( Tamás Tarcsi, Viktor Leonid Király, and Anna Bogyó) she subsequently encounters are anything but helpful or accommodating!
Next, my Mind:
The horror genre used to be a much larger challenge for this critic, as I originally just didn’t LIKE it…at ALL. Once immersing myself into film reviewing and gaining at least a slightly more open mind, I found my niche within the niche for this genre, which has remained firmly rooted in the more eerie, chilling, supernaturally-infused, psychological styles that have had some seriously great representation in recent time. So, when it came down to being offered the opportunity to screen and offer opinion on a genre effort that finds its roots in grindhouse cinema, I was admittedly a little more hesitant, since what often for ME seems overt amounts of blood and gore doesn’t usually win me over. YET, there is NO denying that this new 8-minute indie horror effort from director/producer/editor Márk G. Lakatos, writer/producer Balázs Harangozó, plus executive producers Elena Lakatos and Péter Lakatos makes a statement. A definitive and DARK one!
More importantly…I likewise cannot deny, it does it with excellence and intentionality to make you HIGHLY unsettled then utterly (and morbidly??) fascinated by the VIEWPOINT of what it conveys. Aimed and executed in a manner that wholly pays tribute TO the cornerstone style of horror filmmaking it is meant to emulate, the narrative sees a couple’s night out get summarily, and DISTURBINGLY, upended to shocking degrees, primarily for the woman involved. Even at the beginning of the entire affair, it’s squarely placed in the immediate vicinity of “this is messed up!!” territory, and it only builds and gushes forth (maybe not the BEST choice of terms…..watch and find out if you dare!) more and more. BUT, this IS the twisted genius OF the genre, to pick you up, fully ROCK your senses in a multitude of ways, and then REALLY hit you with the jarringly freaky realities present.
Truthfully, I haven’t necessarily felt this inwardly uneasy with the horror methodology depicted here since many years ago when I reviewed arguably THE most warped indie horror efforts I’ve ever personally watched, Caye Casas‘s brilliant-but-just-wicked feature film “La Mesita Del Comedor (The Coffee Table)”, the review of which you can read here. The only MERCY in THIS short film’s case….is PRECISELY that….it is SHORT! Therefore, it wastes no time on making things go south with brutal, smartly devised purpose that punches you in the gut via both the gore AND the equally diabolical finale that truly puts the ENTIRE proceedings over the top and unequivocally, crushingly, compellingly impactful! Thematically, the delving into grander thoughts on certain types of “science”, unnecessary cruelty justified in its name, and just the larger standpoints of how “the other side of things” is never considered all get screen time here, briefly and viciously.
Of course, the MOST distorted and unapologetically askew facets of the film are just WRONG on SO many levels and this is NOT for the squeamish! Again, the unreserved grotesque-ness OF the film’s choices in imagery, capped with the fearless audacity to even THINK about HOW it’s getting its points across is SUPPOSED to upset you, SUPPOSED to be unflinchingly outrageous and provocative. That IS the very soul of so much of grindhouse projects. It’s ASSUREDLY not for everyone, that’s just a fact. But again, given how deftly and unexpectedly the previously mentioned FINALE is delivered, it DOES work with irrefutable force of intent. Isn’t this also the very core of independent film as a whole, willing to just launch forth with unmitigated boldness that even defies the mainstream interpretations of the given genres they embody? This critic resoundingly says YES!
One must give huge amounts of credit to actor Dániel Illés here for tackling not just two roles, but dual GENDERS as well, which honestly seems to just ADD more layers of insanity to what’s ALREADY off the chain via his appearances as the male (Férfi) AND female (Nö) leads, a couple who’s expecting and is already fighting about controversial subjects when she goes into labor. Once in the ambulance, it is made quite clear that ALL will NOT be well, and events only escalate to ghastly places from there! Yet, the ACTUAL and CONCLUSIVE reveal is what makes the dastardly evil we see before us MAKE SENSE (THAT is scary to say!!), and perhaps even in a more DARKLY humorous and persuasive manner that you DON’T see coming! How Illés especially navigates Nö through a severely gut-wrenching sequence of goings on that shatters her entire being is impressive, emotively capturing confusion, then fear, then pain beyond belief with energy and credibility that is so opposite of the male character who is so calmly spooky in his demeanor before things get amplified.
The primary supporting roles are provided by Tarcsi, Király, and Bogyó as a trio of abominable doctors/surgeons who quickly showcase just how much they do NOT have ANYONE’S best interests in mind….as they just seek FOOD!! The ghoulish way all three actors choose to gleefully portray individuals of such perverse affinities is actually another testament to the quality of acting we see, because it’s making us SICK to watch these characters enact their idea of “quality healthcare” for someone in LABOR, and the POINT that’s being made could not have had a more emphatically vexatious air to it had it NOT been for the fact these actors are just getting INTO it so much! Sometimes, it has made we wonder where actors truly have to “go to” in their heads to BE like these characters are, much less to have to go all out within that mindset for the sake of a film. But this group did it, and did it exceptionally and more importantly, convincingly, twists and all!
So, in total, “Hús Kamra (Meat Locker)”, will NOT in any form ALTER my horror film preferences, as I will still lean more into what I had mentioned earlier. BUT….make NO mistake….this IS a complete, competent, disquieting, relentless, and brazenly inspired ode to its parent genre and should be embraced as such. If anything, just get ready to have a devilish first hand ride into what it’s like to be on the other side of the trough!!
STAR RATING (out of 5):
As always, this is all for your consideration and comment. Until next time, thank you for reading!
