PopHorror Let's Get Scared
It’s always interesting to see what people can do on a low budget. It’s even more interesting when you see what they can do in a short amount of time. Inside, the latest short film from Philip Thomas Morelli and Italy’s Castle View Studio, has an interesting premise with the potential for greater things, but unfortunately falls flat.
Inside stars Andrea Loreti as Frank Milligan and Alice Del Corso as the voice at the end of the film. Frank Milligan is a man seeking justice, and in his hunt for revenge, he has tracked down a brutal serial killer in an abandoned house. It’s a plot that has the potential for greater things, and could even be made into a full length film. The short teases elements of psychological horror, with the belief that Frank is dealing with some personal demons. Sometimes the psychological side of horror can be more frightening than the blood and guts that horror films often contain. If Inside is going to be turned into a full length film, I would hope that it stays on the psychological side of horror, as the plot aligns itself nicely with that.
Inside starts with a voice describing that there is a beast among us, and that is has already taken the lives of four children and seven adults. This is when we are first introduced to Frank Milligan as he enters the house holding a hatchet. It’s not quite clear at first that it is Milligan speaking, but eventually the words match up with his lips. It’s evident that Frank is looking for someone, and he even says that, “I thought he was in this cabin with me, but I was damn wrong.” After some more wandering around the house, Frank looks into a mirror, in which his reflection smiles back at him. We hear Frank say, “Take it,” as he picks up a revolver and proceeds to shoot himself. The screen fades to black, and the credits start to roll. As the credits are rolling, a voice begins speaking and describing some of what we just saw. We’re told that we had been listening to the last words of Frank Milligan, and that he had left the voicemail for multiple people before taking his own life.
At this point, we’re still toeing the line of psychological horror and it seems to be working. The problem comes, however, with the reveal at the end of the credits. I don’t want to spoil the reveal, but it adds unnecessary confusion to the story. The film is short and vague, which is understandable as it was done with the hopes of eventually expanding into a larger, more fleshed out film. This vagueness, though, doesn’t allow for many more elements to be added to the plot just yet.
All in all, this isn’t a bad start for Castle View Studio’s full-length hopeful. Psychological horror can be very scary if done effectively, and the plot is there for it to work. The downfall comes, however, when too many pieces are added to the story and start to muddy up the plot. I’m excited to see if Philip Thomas Morelli is able to flesh out the story and create an effective psychological horror film.
Check out the short below and let us know what you think in the comments!
