PopHorror Let's Get Scared
The third and final short film I reviewed for Cinepocalypse 2019 was Teacher’s Lounge. Cinepocalypse chooses a variety of different movies, shorts, animations and videos to show at their festival every year. I think most people will find at least one if not multiple projects that they’ll enjoy. The title alone intrigued me; I didn’t know what to expect. So, what was Teacher’s Lounge about? Read on to find out! Don’t worry… there are no spoilers here!
Teacher’s Lounge is directed by Josh Mruz (Snail Mail 2013) and co-written by Mruz and John Karsko (Hunting Buddies 2009). The film stars John Edel (The Long Goodbye 2018), Tyler Jensen (Nobody 2009), Mari Harris (Ghost From The Machine 2010), and Demetrius Butler (S.W.A.T. 2017). Teacher’s Lounge follows Dion Davis (Butler) on his first day teaching at a new school. When he is introduced to the other teachers, he begins to feel something is off in this school’s teacher’s lounge. Dion finally gets the answer as to what really goes on behind closed doors of a teacher’s lounge.
Final Thoughts:
Teacher’s Lounge is a very fun film with a great concept for a story. Who hasn’t ever wondered what teachers do behind those closed teacher’s lounge doors? When I was a kid and I saw a teacher outside of school, it was like seeing an alien species. It’s silly, yes, but I think everyone has felt that way at some point. Josh Mruz and John Karsko play into that feeling very well. I enjoyed the lighting Mruz choose in certain scenes. I also appreciated how Mruz was able to take one single location and keep it intriguing, which, for any director, is hard to do, no matter how talented they may be. One of the best examples I can think of is in Hitchcock’s Rope (1948). Teacher’s Lounge is definitely worth a watch and has become one of my personal favorite shorts that I’ve viewed so far this year.
