WATCH THE TRAILER HERE
First, the Recap:
Apprehensions. Fears. Omens. Portents. There are words such as these that so often become harbingers of ill will, shadows of things to come, or quick glimpses into events that might or might not occur, mostly to one’s detriment. Yet, it would be easy to shrug them off, dismissing them as only figments of a tired or stressed mind, perhaps. But through it all, the question remains–do you still heed the warnings? Newly minted business manager Landon (David Esposito) is extremely confident with his new position at work, especially as he haughtily and overbearingly lets everyone know it, including his best-friend-now-underling Ed (Ryan Crepack) and co-worker Anthony (Steve Lo Biondo), with Ed especially annoyed by the pompous attitude.
Blind to the effect his newfound “glory” is having on the other two, Landon parties and carries on into the late afternoon to celebrate. But, after being dropped off at home, stumbling inside, and falling asleep, an overtly frightening premonition enters Landon’s mind–his murder. Awake and uncertain about what he dreamt, he confides it to Ed, who suddenly realizes the two of them are being watched by their now-former boss, Oz (Dominik Zdzioch). Still believing he is too lucky to have anything bad happen to him, Landon continues to treat Oz’s presence as nothing, while Ed becomes more and more paranoid. But given the past history between Oz and the other three, on top of Landon’s dream, it then becomes a looming question whether dream becomes reality.
Next, my Mind:
Co-writers/co-directors Esposito and Crepack, through the company Mind Palace Pictures, bring to life this 13+ minute indie short film effort with a simple, yet cool, ease of execution, tone, and commitment to the narrative that delivers a solid premise, darkly humorous undercurrents, and a satisfying final act. And this all becomes that much more endearing when one realizes that now only did the writing and directing get handled by two of the main actors, so did the rest of the production to boot, with Lo Biondo taking on the cinematography and Crepack also tackling producing while Esposito finalizes things with music and editing. Again, everything here is modest and unassuming, which is not only allowable in indie film, it often helps things stay grounded within story and character, rather than just spectacle.
Esposito most certainly takes full advantage of playing his character’s initially obnoxious demeanor to the fullest extent, infusing Landon with the kind of puffed-up and hubristic qualities that immediately make one want to put him in his place. Even in the aftermath of events, despite toning down a little, Esposito never lets Landon be totally non-conceited. Crepack’s Ed and Lo Biondo’s Anthony get the dubious task of putting up with Landon, which they begrudgingly do, but then get their own focus shifted when circumstances start looking ominous. Finally, Zdzioch has the joy of playing antagonist as Oz, which he does wonderfully, hovering in the background yet dwelling in the forefront of the other’s minds.
Overall, “Fatal Premonition” stands firm as a nice piece of independent short film thriller/comedy that deserves a look, and also does well to illustrate the ongoing realization that sometimes, simple and subtle in a movie is a good thing!
As always, this is all for your consideration and comment. Until next time, thank you for reading!
