Ever had to make a business presentation but your head’s elsewhere? Well, it will never be as bad as the one Shelby (Snyder) has to make. You see, not only are the three suits she’s presenting to a bunch of obnoxious sexist morons, but she has killed her team leader Clare (Sotomura) the night previously.
Taking its cue from the classic and oft-filmed Edgar Allan Poe tale The Tell-Tale Heart, this is a superb and effective short. It doesn’t shy away from some great moments of gore. Stacy Snyder plays the increasingly unhinged Shelby with great relish. She plays her version of the story’s character as one would expect; although perhaps not quite as confident as Poe’s original antagonist, her descent into paranoia and guilt is still as gloriously detailed and satisfyingly menacing.
Wonderfully directed (and wittily written) by Kevin Sluder, Heartless manages to pack a lot into its short running time. It’s not afraid to get bloodied and relishes the dark humour that the situation allows. Where Poe’s story has often been depicted as a more psychological terror, Sluder’s adaptation takes us right to the (literal) heart of the tale, and even shows us some of drastic and uncharacteristic action that brings Shelby’s mental state to collapse.
Heartless has, quite rightly, been going down gangbusters at festivals since its release, so if it’s playing at one near you, make sure you check it out. You won’t be disappointed.
HEARTLESS (SHORT FILM) / CERT: TBC / DIRECTOR & SCREENPLAY: KEVIN SLUDER / STARRING: STACY SNYDER, JOANNA SOTOMURA, MATT MERCER, BLAINE VEDROS / RELEASE DATE: TBC
