THE ISOLATION HORRORS / DIRECTORS, SCREENPLAY & STARRING: M. W. DANIELS, EMMA DARK, NICOLAI KORNUM, RICHARD MARKWORTH, JOHN WHITAKER / RELEASE DATE: APRIL 24TH (YOUTUBE)
It’s fair to say we’re going through a rough time at the moment. With many people stuck at home, the more creative are finding ways to fill the time. This short anthology uses our understandable fears to muster a selection of brief but entertaining terror-filled tales all shot independently on the phones.
The continuity for the collection is provided by producer Nicolai Kornum’s The Bloody Face Mask, in which Kornum finds the offending item (which contains much more ickiness than just blood) in the street and rings around his friends, concerned for their health. Now, most people wouldn’t pick up such an item let alone bring it home, but let’s not nit-pick. Calling each filmmaker one by one, we’re drawn into their world.
Emma Dark’s Japanese horror-inspired Goryō plays on the cursed video trope and is beautifully shot. Richard Markworth’s contribution Across the Landing takes the form of a patriotic video diary that descends into paranoia and desperation. John Whitaker’s short Anomalous has toilet rolls at its heart; probably something talked about most at the start of the lockdown. Martin Daniels’ Ghosting Isolation covers his natural fear for his father, with Daniels Senior playing the part perfectly.
Each of the entries in this dark but timely portmanteau is crafted well, with some powerful visuals that tap into our anxieties and dread at this unprecedented time. For anyone to turn around such quality under these circumstances is inspiring. It’s even more impressive that it’s a highly entertaining watch.
