Gimme
Rating: 5/5
By: Nathaniel Simpson
The holiday season is always a time for families to gather together and celebrate. These times are usually filled with love and happiness, but there are times where the holidays simply just bring back too painful memories or reminders of the ones that aren't here with us anymore. That is the case for the small family centered around Steven Schloss' Gimme, a Hanukkah-based horror flick that is simply quite amazing. From the visuals to the story to the way Schloss is able to capture the sheer terror and frights on the screen, there is no doubt in my mind that Schloss is destined to be a breakout filmmaker in the horror genre.
The short film revolves around Papa Alan (Paul Kandarian) and his granddaughter Lev (Taylor Pezza) as they play a demonic and dangerous game of dreidel in their attic, forcing them to confront past demons and try to survive to finish the game. From the get-go, this movie immediately captures your attention, and as the film progressed, I found myself getting more and more anxious about what is going to happen next. I know I'm not alone in this sentiment, but I have found myself not really getting scared or feeling that much anxiety when watching horror movies anymore. The film plays out the same old jumpscares and build up the tension in very redundant ways. However, with Gimme, I found myself watching the final act through fingers, not sure what to expect next.
What I simply adore so much about this film is its visuals and horror storytelling. There is so much going on here in the 13-minute runtime, and it all works so beautifully together. From the special effects and set design to the cinematography and writing for the film, it tells this haunting story of regret and past mistakes, adding in elements of trauma that reflects in how they play this deadly game of dreidel. There are numerous terrifying moments throughout the picture that make the viewer's heart beat out of their chest and startles them when something runs across the screen when we don't expect it. At the same time, the visuals and the imagery that Schloss is able to capture here is very reminiscent of the masterful Guillermo del Toro, and some visuals here could have easily been taken out of Pan's Labyrinth or Crimson Peak. There is a moment that shows a demonic version of a character whose face is badly burnt and starts screaming at our two main characters. The entire moment is done incredibly well and is easily a standout part of the film for me. Not only is the acting great here, but the cinematography and the set design elevates the scene past the terrifying nature of the woman. It is incredibly inspiring to see an up-and-coming filmmaker really craft something unique and different in the horror genre while also showing his inspirations on the screen. It makes the film feel so much more special and beautiful.
The performances from Kandarian and Pezza here are also just as great as the film itself. They have to carry this film on their performances, and I think they both do a wonderful job. Not only are they able to portray the horror their characters are going through, but they are able to give fantastic performances as this estranged grandfather and granddaughter who are trying to figure out life together after the death of Lev's mother. Their performances are nuanced in a way, which I think adds so much more to the grief and the horror they are experiencing in their own lives. When we find out what the dreidel and the game represents towards the end of the movie, it really connects all the pieces together.
There is no doubt in my mind that Schloss is going to go incredibly far. This 13-minute short film has done better things in the horror genre than many feature horror films have lately. Schloss crafts this excellent story about grief and loss that is then translated into fantastic horror imagery that works throughout the entire short film. Seeing an up-and-coming filmmaker craft a horror picture this good is incredibly inspiring and gives me hope for the future of horror. I honestly can't wait to see what Schloss is going to do next.
Comments
Post a Comment