First, a pause for a back story before the review.
The Back Story:
Andy Stewart is the mastermind behind Dysmorphia, but before his launch into the the world of film accolades he created andyerupts.com. His true passion for all things horror has been on display as a writer, reviewing others work. Over the course of a couple years he grew from a small site, to the one that was breaking stories and being quoted by the ‘big dogs’ of the industry like Dread Central. The very fact that he is managing to successfully make the leap from content reviewer to content creator is something to be in awe of. Dysmorphia is the first of three shorts planned, the second called Banquet is currently in production.
The Review:
Short films are always an interesting animal. Without the chains of a specific run time, the idea is that every moment has to serve the story and the characters in it. The trickiest part is making sure you care about the character(s).
With a run time under twelve minutes, Dysmorhpia puts one man in a room with an unconventional solution to an unconventional problem.
In simple terms, this is a horror movie. However, it is a dive into someone’s psyche as they are making a life altering decision. Hearing his inner thoughts as we tumble down a world of self-inflected pain and gore.
The balance in these scenes between the unflinchingly clinical to the sly over the shoulder shots, seeing everything and sometimes seeing nearly nothing, manages to make you want to look away and see more in the same moment. Well executed special effects drive the bulk of the run-time.
Did I mention that there is only one actor in this entire short? Gordon Holliday manages an incredible feat of realism as his character faces unimaginable physical pain. It’s his determined quietness, even during the worst of the pain, that is haunting.
It is the micro moments, the impeccable sound design, and the final reveal that make Dysmorphia more than a sum of its parts.
It is currently making the rounds on the festival circuit. If you have the opportunity to see it; see it.
Looks very creepy…in a good way!
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