Short Film Review “Projection” Horror and healing collide in a quietly building then conclusively intense, turbulent look at the impact of abuse
WATCH THE TRAILER BELOW:
First, the Recap:
When it comes to all we withhold inside ourselves, more specifically pain and trauma, letting go and being able to forge ahead is a challenge. Once away from the source or sources that caused it, the lingering aftereffects remain embedded, more than difficult to shake off, still obscuring that much needed path to renewal. Yet, when we make the attempt, despite things still not exactly being ideal, WILL we be able to find peace? Or will it first take another extreme push?
Looking for such a new start, a young woman named Katie (Mikey Gray) arrives to the new apartment she and her younger sister Haley (Preslea Elliott) have come to to escape dire circumstances. With the specters of that past very much looming over them both, Katie is insistent things will improve, even as the less-than-amicable landlady Joy (Erika Nadir) plus the complex’s menacing handyman Nacio (Diego Garijo) bode ill. What transpires next will drastically alter Katie and Haley’s lives….forever.
Next, my Mind:
When it comes to expressing my thoughts about certain general topics within the film world, I realize certain statements tend to repeat themselves because, frankly, there’s just no better way to say them, for me anyway. Therefore, with this 12-minute indie short film from writer/director/producer/editor Ari Groobman and producer Xavier DuBose, my entire notion of what can be accomplished through the horror genre once more surprises me. I say this as the overall approach I thought this film might take within this realm DID occur. However, WHEN it did, it actually MEANT something FAR beyond just mere shock value or remotely gratuitous violence. YES, there’s quite a sequence of bloodshed and brutality to be found. YES, it most assuredly carries itself into the “splatter” style that I normally don’t prefer or even gravitate towards. BUT….what blew my mind HERE is that WHERE this transpires and WHY, there’s a MESSAGE conveyed with it.
Honestly, very much more delivering an an eerie, unsettling, yet awareness-raising psychological atmosphere that happens to get a definitely conclusive instance of jarring savagery to cement its core theme into place, the narrative sees a young woman, her sister, and their dog attempting to find a fresh beginning after liberating themselves from a highly unhealthy home life, with the subsequent events that will unfold turning their lives even more upside down. The first thing I wish to mention is that the film’s title itself is so smartly conceived when placed in the context of what road the story leads us down. The manner in which the themes of mental health, the impact of trauma, and the ways we can tend to hold it in rather than truly addressing it is masterfully executed, then put into a final perspective that REALLY drives the points home with emphatic, compelling, and frighteningly visceral fervency.
What I also admire is the unflinching nature of these explorations, not making ANY attempt to sugar coat the raw realities of abuse and its ramifications well before any of the visual violence arrives. Showcasing how debilitating the sense of anger, helplessness, hopelessness, haunting voices that buffet us, and buried/pent-up self-image from the damage caused inwardly and outwardly can manifest, it allows the film to reel us in even more with these unnerving truths and how they’re illustrated, leading to the already hinted at third act that unapologetically punches you in the face. And whether you wish to admit it or not, there’s a strangely (yet understandably!) cathartic sensation you get during the weighty, startling, and severely disquieting finale which symbolizes (in a disturbingly but purposefully exaggerated horror film way!) something we often could all use when facing troubling mentalities….radical inner emancipation. Plus there’s a fun little bit of “never judge a book by its cover” and “tables turned” that are cleverly portrayed thanks to the excellent writing found here.
Actors who can exemplify versatility is already a good thing to begin with. But when you not only show it, but through immensely opposite, transformative, and extreme demeanors during the SAME film, especially with only 12 minutes to do so, THAT for me is beyond impressive. Such is the case with Gray, who is a portrait of abject vulnerability, steadfast confidence yet also lingering fear, and controlled caution but then flat out explosive rage through her role as Katie. A woman fleeing with her younger sibling and prized dog from a harsh environment that’s left them all jaded and guarded, the new apartment complex they move to ends up bringing about unforeseen horror….and much needed healing! Watching Gray go from zero to unhinged, again more so in the context of this story, births an absolutely winning performance, depicting crushing personal turmoil and fiery volatility with complete credibility and resolve that just NAILS you with its energy.
Primary supporting turns come to fruition first from Elliott as Haley, Katie’s younger sister whose very countenance bears the story of their desperate plight to abscond to much better places. Not convinced about the new neighborhood, Haley’s hesitations turn to adamant support for her sister when things hit the fan, and it’s the subtly in Elliott’s performance as this character that really sticks out with a muted but palpable fervor. Nadir is Joy, the complex’s rather abrupt landlady whose initial impression of Katie (and the dog!) are less than welcoming. It’s one of those characters you might find yourself loving to hate a little bit, which is as always a testament to the acting ability being brought to bear, which Nadir does wonderfully. Garijo is another acting wonder here, again, mostly in a more muted but then fantastically frenetic manner through his role as Nacio, the complex’s handyman and a seeming walking advertisement for ominous presences at hand.
Yet, will what comes about as Katie tries to find any sense of peace and settledness in the complex reveal Nacio as the lingering potential threat he appears to be? Garijo’s performance just oozes with creepiness that so deftly befits the character’s intent, even when all may not be what it seems. Speaking of creepy, Ian McPherson chews scenery in a flurry of moments that make up the film’s third act and gut-wrenching finale, doing so through the character he plays that is truly the definition of horror film nightmares. I won’t say anything else because watching the film and seeing what I mean by this is SO worth it. But let’s again just have the understanding that McPherson turns in a memorable performance for the screen time he gets. Additional appearances, both physically and via voice only, arrive from Tiffany Herbert, Elisabeth Parroquin, Jim Todd, John Parroquin, and “Pumpkin” the Dog.
So, in total, “Projection” is a magnificent piece of horror thriller cinema that delivers a blunt force lesson and necessary messaging about how we harbor pain within us, what happens when it comes bursting to the surface, how we place those feelings on something or someone else who, in our minds, represents that origin point of the distress, and the means by which we discover the freedom from it we require, all wrapped in a brutal but eerily accurate rendering of the toll abuse can have on everything we are, and why getting help is the BEST resolution.
STAR RATING (out of 5):
As always, this is all for your consideration and comment. Until next time, thank you for reading!
