WATCH THE TRAILER HERE
First, the Recap:
Ever notice that certain things can appear one way upon first glance, but then get revealed as something completely opposite? Yet, in light of said unveiling, would we not still question what has truly occurred? After a decidedly ominous initial hint at what appears to have transpired, we take as an example one little girl, Lenora (Lillian Gray), who arises to not just any new day, but rather to one that promises the prospects of joy and celebration–her father’s birthday. However, when Lenora’s first waking moments cause her to come upon a less than settling scene, it is her mother (Fleece) who appears.
Despite an evident aura of creepiness beneath a calm, purposeful manner, Lenora’s mother provides explanation for what is being witnessed, even advising her daughter to, effectively, go about her routine like nothing’s wrong. As such, Lenora takes to making her father a card and baking him his favorite cake. However, all the while, her mother is noticeably inconspicuous, though when she does appear, it isn’t any less disconcerting than before, drawing Lenora’s curiosity yet again. As the day progresses waiting for her father to come home, it is only a matter of time before she gets the news that only leads to further disappointment.
Next, my Mind:
The effectiveness of the horror genre, for this reviewer anyway, relies on what level of palpable eeriness and spine-chilling menace a film can induce within the viewer, rather than just being a gratuitous gore fest. So it is always with some trepidation that I take on films contained within said genre, but fortunately with director/co-producer Vanessa Ionta Wright and writer/co-producer Samantha Kolesnik’s 5-minute effort, the gamble pays off in plenty of disturbing spades! The magic here is how the film pulls off its “secret” with that “viewer is already aware of what’s happened”-style execution so deftly, that you don’t care you know. It’s the freakiness of watching the primary characters’ interactions in view of this knowledge that makes the skin crawl, eliciting the intended, wince-inducing unease. Additionally, just the style in which the film is shot makes specific imagery even more scary.
Fleece is utterly awesome in her role as the Mother. It’s a total lesson in how to completely enact a character with such an understated demeanor, that it only makes the viewer that much more threatened by her and what she’s capable of while trying to put across that motherly front to her totally unsuspecting daughter. Even when blatant moments occur that vividly showcase what is really happening, Fleece’s delivery is spot on in deflecting attention away from the obvious, again making it overtly disquieting.
All of this is not to take anything away from an equally effective and affecting performance by Gray as Lenora, a young girl whose sole focus on this particular day is to do what she has done for years–make a cake, card, and enjoy the simple pleasure of her beloved father’s birthday. Watching Gray navigate each innocent yet absurdly awkward moment with her mother is perfection, and her long-suffering manner when her father doesn’t arrive is both endearing and heartbreaking, well played by Gray.
With is haunting music score from Ross Childress added to the mix, “I Baked Him A Cake” is one seriously tension-filled, nerve-fraying, foreboding narrative carried off with an excellent subtly that only aids in emphasizing the direful atmosphere the filmmaker’s desired, therefore making the impact intended.
As always, this is all for your consideration and comment. Until next time, thank you for reading!
