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Directed by Darren Scales Starring Nathalie Cox, Robin Kirwin, Ben Shahin-Scales, & Shane Rimmer Short Film Review by Chris Olson A well crafted sci-fi short film, Darkwave: Edge of the Storm boasts some fantastic visuals and a pulse racing storyline. From director Darren Scales, DEOTS is the story of a couple (Nathalie Cox and Robin Kirwin) attempting to survive in a dystopian New Earth, where they hope to elude a powerful regime whilst protecting their specially gifted son Ben (Ben Shahin-Scales).
Posed as a franchise, there is a lot of promise to this piece. The world that is built is believable, threatening, and fascinating, not to mention containing some brilliant landscapes and visuals. The use of VFX with practical is well balanced, and a couple of moments using gory makeup are particularly startling. Scales proves himself more than capable of handling the science fiction aesthetic, which is by no means easy. More stories in this world would definitely be welcome. Edge of the Storm, as a singular story, is a little lacking when it comes to dialogue. It's a tad clunky at times and some of the performers have a hard time reaching the emotional depth needed for audiences to really invest in this film or connect with the characters, which is always a trial in a short film. That being said, Cox is most definitely worthy of mention. Her character is easily the driving force of the movie, especially during her emotive scenes with her father (Shane Rimmer). This is another example of where more stories from this world would be welcome, exploring their past and relationship would be great. Any good sci-fi film needs a talented composition. The score very often being crucial in settling the audience into the world being presented to them, as it is a subtle way of influencing their viewing experience. Darkwave: Edge of the Storm has a superb score. The music compliments the adventurous tone of the story, as well as the poignant loneliness of these characters in a dangerous and tumultuous setting. Throughout the film, never once was I jolted out of the movie by a misplaced note or poorly chosen instrument. Scales's film reminded me slightly of Midnight Special which came out earlier this year, which is no bad thing. Although not competing in the same league as that film in terms of script, there is definitely an audience for this type of action/adventure/thriller which boldly dares to be visual in an increasingly difficult genre to please. And that is where Scales is really successful. A little more nuances in the script, and some deeper character development, and the Darkwave franchise could prove to be a force to be reckoned with.
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