FGBFF 2018 – ‘Hobby Shop’ Horror Short Review

When asked to review Isabel Stanfield and Stephanie Liquorish’s horror short Hobby Shop for the 2018 Final Girls Berlin Film Festival, I wasn’t sure what to expect. I hadn’t heard of either filmmaker at the time, so I had nothing to prepare me for what I was about to watch. So, what did I discover upon watching?

Synopsis:

After getting herself into a spot of trouble, young Sophia finds sanctuary in a mysterious Hobby Shop. Letting her curiosity get the better of her, she ventures through the store, where she encounters a kind and frail man with a peculiar passion for marionettes. Following the man into the depths of his basement workshop, Sophia is confronted with not just the secrets of his craft, but also the tragedies of his past. She must make a desperate attempt to escape the horrors lurking in the basement before she earns a more permanent residency in Mr Hotchkins’s Hobby Shop.

This 8 minute Australian short was co-directed by both Stephanie Liquorish (The Last Cigarette 2017) and Isabel Stanfield (Two Weeks 2017) and co-produced by Stanfield and Ryan Greaves. Liquorish co-wrote the film with Zac Loy (Aquaman 2016) and Jacob Irvine (Maximum Ride webseries). The film stars Milly Walton (Make Mermaids 2013), Emily Gruhl (Picnic at Hanging Rock 2018) and Hugh Parker (Bullets for the Dead 2015). The music for the film was composed by Ack Kinnmonth (Boggabilla Bus 2017).

Hobby Shop starts off a bit like a Disney film. Young Sophia (Milly Walton) ducks into a crowded curio shop where she meets the marionette-loving, cane-toting Mr. Hotchkins (Hugh Parker). He’s all smiles and forgiveness, even after she breaks one of his framed photographs. It’s not until she follows him downstairs that the film gets dark. The things this poor girl stumble upon would make even the most stable man go berserk. I don’t want to spoil anything, but I will say this… the next time you feel the need to lurk around in the backroom of some Mom and Pop store, DON’T.

I will say that I do recommend Hobby Shop. Don’t judge the short by the first few minutes. In all honesty, the innocent intro only makes the rest of the short all the more freaky. Be sure to check it out if you get the chance.