The film centers on the protagonist Dan, waiting outside a local club for a young lady he earlier propositioned. Shocked to find Dan waiting, the woman fights off his drunken advances. As the pair wrestle, Dan’s attempts to subdue her end in tragedy. In a desperate attempt to safeguard all he holds dear, he travels to a national park, finding the perfect secluded spot to bury his mistake. Unwittingly, he has stumbled into the playground of a serial killer who observes Dan’s crime and seizes on the opportunity to use the newcomer for his purposes. When six young traveling companions witness Dan in the process of trying to cover up a body left by the serial killer, events quickly spiral out of control.
As the recipient of several awards, Black Hearts Red Hands is a short film you expect to deliver. Debut director Russell Southam creates the highly –charged suspense you expect from a fast-moving, big-budget thriller and the composition of scenes; the use of lighting, filming location, and the integration of minimal special effects add to the merits of the film. However, the plot and emerging subplots, character development, and fluidity of a rich engaging storyline seem to be compromised, perhaps by squeezing much into its limited 15 minutes running time. It’s worth noting Southam envisioned the story to be a feature with 3 distinct storylines or a nine-episode series; the audience would witness the story of the inexperienced killer’s inciting incident, the encounters with the serial killer, and campers in the forest and police investigation. This approach would undoubtedly allow the necessary depth and development for such a mosaic of key characters. In summary, as a proof of concept for a longer format pitch, Black Hearts Red Hands is a piece of work worthy of attention. As a project, it certainly has the potential to be an entertaining full feature. It will be interesting to see what becomes of it.
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Movie Rating Guide
1 Star = Unwatchable
2 Stars = Cannot Recommend
3 Stars = Great for the Fans
4 Stars = A Solid Movie
5 Stars = Must Own (DVD/Stream Download)
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