During an epidemic in which people high on bath salts are turning into zombie-like creatures, eating the legs off of any unsuspecting victim, the residents of one apartment complex face their own private hell. It's not safe outside, and it's not much better inside, thanks to the world's most tyrannical landlady. Liz Topham-Myrtle (Brian Patrick Butler) lords it over her tenants, and if any should step out of line she is quick to lash out with extreme punishment. But how long can her reign of terror go on before someone decides it might just be easier to get rid of her? Have you ever watched a movie only to be left wondering what it is that you've just watched? That is the essence of Hemet, or the Landlady Don't Drink Tea . It is a gross and extreme horror comedy that seems to have something to say about our society. With memories of the pandemic, and lockdown still fairly fresh, there is something strangely familiar about this sordid escapade. You might even find yo...

A couple find themselves at a major crossroad in both their relationship and their lives. Unable to go back, and apprehensive about moving forward, they ponder what to do next, and what it will mean for both of them. The world just keeps on turning. That is the essence of this brilliantly emotional short. Maya Ahmed captures this crazy turning point in two people's lives - what could be any two people's lives - through, of all things, lunch. When you find yourself in a situation similar to that of the two leads, what else is there to do? And it allows Ahmed to convey what they are feeling. That emptiness and uncertainty is almost palpable, as these two people caught in a whirlwind, struggle with what to do.   Now you'd think, given the subject matter, a film such as this would be all doom and gloom, but it's quite the opposite. If anything, there is a surprising sense of hope to it. A light at the end of this particular tunnel. Only the central couple aren't in the ...

A developer works with the Artificial Intelligence they have created, to help it beat the Turing test and convince others that it's human. There's something oddly Blade Runner  about this intriguing short film. Turing Test  serves as both a fascinating piece of filmmaking and an almost prescient warning. Granted, this isn't the first film to try and warn us about Artificial Intelligence, but this one feels closer to home. It all begins with a simple conversation between said developer and their creation. A catch up, of sorts. Or at least that's how it appears. Yet right from the off, there is a sense that something is off. Leaving the viewer ill at ease, even if they're not entirely sure why. A state in which writer/director Jaschar Marktanner holds his audience for the duration. Marlene Fahnster and Richard Lingscheidt are fantastic in the lead roles. They - along with a clever use of sets, costume and hair & makeup - add to that sense of unease with their cold...

A group of strangers find themselves the unwitting contestants in a brand new online game show. In each round they must answer a series of trivia questions, facing extreme penalties at the hands of the show's deranged host for every wrong answer. But why have they been picked to play? What did they do to deserve a place on the internet's deadliest game show? A gore fest and a game show. Trivial  has all the hallmarks of both. It's reminiscent of the SAW movies in that way. I imagine if ol' Jigsaw had been a fan of Who Wants to be a Millionaire? , his many escapades would probably look a lot like this. As with any good game show or horror movie, this blood-soaked indie features a delightfully diverse cast of contestants, and it's hard to tell which ones will crumble under the pressure, and if any will survive to the very end. While some very good makeup effects make the situation feel all the more terrifying and real, the clips of classic game shows dispersed through...

In the year 2164, the assassination of a popular political candidate will create an opportunity for a failed comedian to seek to become the Empathy party's nominee for President of the United States, and he will choose a genetically modified, super-intelligent, opium-addicted parrot as his running mate. Be aware, this show is disturbing, and despite the presence of talking parrots, it is not written for children. The Disposable Soma  - the brainchild of writer/filmmaker Zeb Haradon - began life as a series of books. Now, by utilising a variety of A.I. tools to generate the imagery and some sound, he has adapted his tale of our depraved and drug-addled future into a streaming series. Which brings us to an interesting question regarding the use of A.I. in filmmaking - a controversial subject, to say the least - and whether it's ever ok to use it. Is it acceptable in this case because Haradon is using it to share his own original idea through a different medium? Given that he has ...

A struggling video editor takes on a seemingly lucrative job for a mysterious client, only to find out that the films they have her editing are snuff films. Haunted by what she sees, and unsure of what to do, her world soon begins to fall apart. First off, it's worth pointing out that this is not a review of the John Cena/Alison Brie action comedy. No, this is a very different Freelance . It begins as  a sort of love letter to video editors and their often unappreciated craft, in much the same way  The Fall Guy  is to stunt workers. The opening credits made using editing software is a nice touch too.  And yet, at its heart this is a real mind-fuck of a movie. One that deals with some difficult subject matter, and what makes it really scary is it feels in some way possible. Thankfully however, director John Balazs and writer Michael Gerbino's approach to all this nasty stuff was to be authentic, unflinching and hard-hitting, without being excessive. Although,  if...

Since his mother passed away, Jason (Timothy J. Cox) has been spending his Sundays visiting with his father, Ben (George R. Hildebrand). But this Sunday is different, because Ben has something he wants to discuss with Jason. Something sensitive. Understandably, after 40+ years of marriage Ben is struggling with being alone. There is a hole in his life that he is struggling to fill. And in this search for companionship he has started seeing a prostitute, only without the sex part. On the face of it Sundays with Dad  sounds almost ridiculous. A rare and potentially extreme scenario. In reality, however, this couldn't be further from the truth. Approaching the perils of growing old with compassion and respect, this charming short film has a surprisingly relatable feel. After all, loneliness is something we all face. Ben's love of The Rockford Files  also helps. You might even begin to wonder how often this type of scenario plays out in the real world -  The Rockford Fil...

Extraction, USA is a town experiencing an energy boom. Good news for some, but not for most. So when a drifter named Steph (Marlee Carpenter) wanders into the bar where pool hustling single mum, Marni (Leanne Johnson) works, and they hit it off, the idea of escaping this grimy town starts to look possible. The only question is; how far are they willing to go in order to actually do it? If Mike Yonts and Peter Matsoukas were looking to create an authentic depiction of amateur criminals, they have succeeded, more or less.  In fact, the movie has something to say about the general state of the human race, and it's hardly complimentary. Anyone who has ever had a boss or worked a shitty job will likely be able to relate. Something Derek McMahan certainly helps with, playing the slimy owner of the bar where Marni works.  And yet, rather than having that misery and hardship be the focus of the movie, they simply serve as the driving force behind Marni and Steph's criminal awakening. ...

Facing financial ruin courtesy of an impending welfare reform, full-time carer Sadie (Shian Denovan) comes up with an audacious scheme to sabotage the new 'Independence Credit' before it can be voted in. She plans to send the government spiralling into chaos by stealing their leverage and crippling their chief whip. In order to do it Sadie will have to sneak into one of the UK's most secure buildings, so she's going to need some help. Let's face it, any opportunity to see a bunch of snivelling politicians - represented here by Ray Bullock Jnr's deliciously evil Chief Whip - get their comeuppance is going to be welcome with pretty much anyone. Even more so when it comes as the result of an Ocean's Eleven  style heist.  Somehow, through this cheesy heist movie that very closely reflects the world we live in - certainly here in the UK - writer/director/producer Christopher Presswell and writer Forgács W. András have actually managed to make treason look fun.  N...

A journalist sits alone in a bar, working, when a stranger approaches him. While the journalist continues to go over his files the stranger begins with him a conversation, by the end of which a startling discovery will be made. But who is this stranger, and what are his intentions? At some point in our lives many of us will have had a creepy encounter or two with strangers in a bar. But how many of those encounters have led to a major breakthrough or discovery in our work? Or any other part of our lives, for that matter. I'm guessing not many. So Meekah (Theo White) is either very lucky to have this new, all-seeing admirer, or he's in a lot of trouble. Either way, the conversation at the heart of Creatures of Habit  is a rather chilling affair. Even the way Timothy J. Cox's moustache... I mean 'Stranger' saunters up to Meekah and begins shooting the shit is a little creepy - something that's nicely highlighted by some clever lighting and camera angles. But it is...

After Luke (Anthony Carey)'s sister goes missing, he begins having dreams of a strange house. Unbeknownst to him, that house is owned by Alan Roscoe Jr. (Timothy J. Cox), passed down to him after the recent death of his father. But something about this house isn't quite right, and Alan seems to tend to it in strange and disturbing ways. A horror movie named after a form of colour blindness - the most common form, in fact. Protanopia is an insensitivity to red light. Making it a rather ironic title, given the amount of red lighting and red visual effects that appear throughout the film. We're talking almost psychedelic levels of colour - especially red. It is the first of many mind-fucks that the movie throws at you. Either that or it's the beginning of the great mind-fuck that is this movie. Recent events have left the two protagonists caught up in their own respective nightmares. While Luke struggles with the disappearance of his sister and some truly haunting dreams, ...