Dramatic scoring notes ignite Green Height Point’s opening scenes… these are silent scenes, and it feels as if this is an almost 90’s thriller… the kind that is seedy, uncomfortable, and full of nostalgia experience. The ‘epic’ primitive cinematic language bursts in these opening scenes… and is quickly swapped with a strange eclectic variety of film forms thereafter: documentary/docudrama, dramatic character study, and string-filled horror take hold in different moments.
The blend of genre though is great. Overall the film feels as if it is a patchwork of ideas; a strong variety of approaches to storytelling – all lead by several bold and noticeable female lead performances. The film finds its pulse in these actors – the victims, voices, and witnesses of the changing behaviors of others. We really get a sense of the inner thinking of these beings.
It’s an uncomfortable watch. An urban horror greatly rooted in some basic fears we all carry: can we trust others? should we trust people we allow into our lives? – which is great for a film rooted in the horror genre…
Sadly though – there are some minor technical issues. In the build-up of the third act, there is a prolonged period of time spent with one actress sitting around, with a Voice Over playing, the frame rate of the footage seems to include unintentional interlacing (this might be just the export provided to us, a preview etc) and the closing credits include timecodes on spare footage – which of course breaks the realism of the film and instead confuses the audience – have we entered a new subgenre of the ‘spoof horror’?
All in all though, one must recommend this short – it propels with ease between its tones, and uses Voice Over as a great narrative format… it just might need a little bit of a tidy-up in the editing room to become perfect.
