WATCH THE TRAILER HERE
First, the Recap:
Dark compulsion. It becomes on thing when someone might find themselves passionately fixated on a pet project or some other object of desire that drives them to put supreme efforts forth to see it come to life and provide healthy fulfillment. But, it is an utterly different sense when shadowy proclivities and a hidden agenda brings a much more sinister and dangerous manner into being, to the detriment of anyone who gets in its way. Newly minted police detective Mark (Justin Hernandez) has shady glamour photographer Charley (JT Harper) in his sights. The only barrier–for all Mark feels he has on his suspect, will there actually be enough to root out a killer?
Next, my Mind:
For this critic, the greatest overall peril within the film ranks, perhaps even more so among the indie community, is that so much has already been done before, and keeping things fresh enough to stand out can be an even greater challenge, one not always successfully pulled off. While this 10-minute effort from writer/director/producer/editor Andres Ramirez might have teetered on that precarious edge, it saves itself through a quite cleverly executed narrative that takes a theme that’s constantly explored and throws what I felt was a unique twist into it via utilization of conjecture and subtle hints rather than blatantly obvious directions it could have taken. I almost hate to be TOO vague in this, but I feel the beauty of this film has to be seen and experienced for maximum impact to understand it’s intent.
Very much conducting itself in a form that also feels like a proof of concept, a story that could easily be expanded on via feature length treatment, the understated battle of wills between a rookie detective and an apparently seasoned perpetrator carries the right amount of tension while providing the viewer with just enough to know that the photographer is certainly not a moral man, but rather a cold, soulless, calculating slave to his own manias. Yet, how the film chooses to address this foundational facet of his being with only minor yet disturbing indicators of what he may be about without diving into it in detail, and that’s the magic of this in the grander scheme of things–NOT actually KNOWING despite what we witness and assume.
Likewise, the manner by which the detective is attempting to ascertain his quarry’s guilt or innocense really cannot take off to the levels we expect either, as what’s presented doesn’t allow for it, hence again making our minds run wild with all the possibilities that MIGHT be happening, but who’s to say are deceptive when we only go by what we view as the audience. Maybe I am taking the whole speculation/postulation element too far here, but honestly, I really don’t think so. It really felt like the absolute design of this effort was to put forth what seems like your “typical” narrative revolving around the whole serial killer genre and try to precisely navigate it yet keep its ultimate endgame enigmatic, which was truly pulled off in spades here, at least for me.
The film is well-shot, with clear cinematography that, as I often like to say, embraces the characters, here capturing the intricacies of all the primary characters’ nuances and creating the necessary creepy ominousness the story warrants. Hernandez does a very solid job in portraying the mildly hesitant and even equally awkward Detective Mark, a man just coming into his own via a recent promotion and immediately thrown into the fire via having to astutely question a potential killer, assessing the criminal mind, while trying to do everything he can do to unsettle an already unsettled mind in order to induce a slip up or clue reveal that will make or break his ongoing investigation. Again, this is a study in planned understated-ness, with Hernandez’s performance very much filled with quiet intensity and aim.
Harper’s performance delivers a wholly different kind of purpose that is beautifully eerie, as it should be, in playing Charley, a fashion photographer who makes it more than evident his warped sense of his subject’s worth and allure goes well beyond normal concepts of it, twisted and formulated by whatever inner demons might be driving it. Charley’s total calm during the questioning, along with flashback-based sequences where we see certain interactions with his models, only makes his tone and demeanor more disconcerting, and Harper nails it with finely-tuned resolve. One additional turn comes from Yhana Sibelle as Jane, the most recent model who’s encountered Charley and then disappeared, played with a convincing conviction by the actress to showcase both fear and vulnerability when in Charley’s presence.
An additional appearance is made by Louise Gomez as Cindy Lou, another possible victim of Charley’s gloomy obsessions. In total, “Shutter” stands firmly as a well-conceived entry into the genre it represents while leaving us wondering if this actually won’t be the last time we see these characters come to screen. As stated above, there’s just enough to leave our curiosity piqued and unanswered questions still on the table that imagination currently must endure. All we know is that it becomes one more disquieting journey into an unnerving individual’s mind and those who would try to stop them, which somehow is an path that never gets old to watch unfold.
As always, this is all for your consideration and comment. Until next time, thank you for reading!
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