Directed by: Chris K. Daniels Written by: Chris K. Daniels Genre: Horror |
Stand
Alone and so very, very tired a man is stalked by a creature that only approaches when he is down. Staying on your feet seems so easy, something we take for granted. But for how long? How long can you remain on your feet? We don't get an exact time our hero has been awake in this short film, but it's implied he's been awake and attempting to stand for quite some time. Every second becomes a battle until finally... you'll have to watch the film to get your answer. Stand is only around 8 minutes, so that shouldn't be a problem.
Chris K. Daniels has taken a great concept and made an excellent short film from it. It reminded me of a Weeping Angel from the Doctor Who universe, who can only attack when it's victim is not looking at it. The creature in this title is far more sinister and gory but the premise remains the same. My comparison to the Angels is not a knock to this title, rather a compliment because Daniels still manages to take the idea and make it his own. I may even like this masked creature more than the stone cold Weeping Angels. I definitely like the visual design more. Our hero in the title is presented well enough as well. There's no over the top drama, and it's clear that he now just doesn't care all that much. By the end, he just wants to rest. Consequences be damned. Eventually, there's no second wind. No rush of adrenaline. Just the desire to rest, to sleep. All this is visually executed quite nicely. Especially for an indie, micro budget film. The pacing felt right, the score worked and there's really nothing to complain about. The use of that orange, blue/teal color grade is very evident but what can I say? It really looks nice, which is why it's become so popular. All in all, I enjoyed my time spend with this title. For the growing number of horror themed movies and TV show lovers, Stand is a great way to spend a few minutes. An easy way to get a really quick fix of the genre you love. It's one of those few titles that actually could have benefited with a longer length. But horror is not always about answers. Sometimes the questions you're left with add to the narrative. Because this is a seemingly self contained story, I would have preferred a darker ending - maybe a chop to the final scene. But maybe that's because I'm not an optimist. The film itself? Recommended. |
