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★★★ Directed by: Mathew Hammond Starring: Sophie Brierley, Matt Kitson, Tom Sheldon Short Film Review by: Alexandra James
With only a 5 minute running time, there is a lot crammed into Wrek, a short horror film. The story follows a man trying to find his lost brother who was tragically taken by a monster and threatens the town’s safety. The elder brother takes it upon himself to find and kill the menacing darkness that looms over citizens.
A very short piece but the plot was simple enough to grasp within the first 20 seconds. It certainly is capable of keeping the viewer on their toes throughout whilst simultaneously retaining an element of mystery by holding a dark and foreboding secret. The audience and characters both remain unsure as to why this creature threatens to kidnap young children and how he became a part of this world.
It can be argued that Wrek could have benefitted more if the costumes of the characters were more defined. Understandably there is only a short space of time, however, it is clear that Matt Kitson takes on the role as the ‘hero’ but unfortunately this is not apparent through his physical appearance. Although the character has established the leader role through his persona, it would aid the narrative if this essence was captured through his clothing, making it that much more clearer for the audience to see that he is in charge and stands above the rest.
The majority of the editing are short cuts which does fit the storyline and creates a fast and exciting pace as the audience awaits a chilling scene. However, perhaps a variety of editing techniques could have broken up the monotonous editing and provided a unique viewing experience.
Clearly, a horror should essentially have the characters surrounded in darkness as this is typically when the scarefest occurs. Nevertheless, as the audience and central character discover the creature's lair it was difficult to see the location and everything around the character himself. Of course, it is problematic in terms of funding to produce copious amounts of stage lighting. Therefore, a location with a lot more natural light in order to witness the characters reaction as well as view the location in its rawest form would have strengthened the piece.
Overall, this is a successful film with many strengths regarding the storyline and the actors’ performances. Areas in which Wrek was lacking would be the editing and locations, both were quite restricted and did not attempt to explore their full potential. Regardless of this, the film was entertaining and filled with suspense.
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