O….MG @TADF2022

It is great to see that true horror subject is coming to light in films. Addiction is one of them that many of us are in constant battle with especially during this pandemic. Nothing is more horrifying when we lose our soul to substance or alcohol abuse. Many like Matthew Perry have come forth to discuss their struggle with addiction to bring things to light. Showing the dark downward spiral of what it means to lose oneself when it comes to addiction is horrifying.

Director Dominik Balkow shows a portrayal of what it’s like to go down that dangerous path of addiction. O which premiered during the International Showcase at the Toronto After Dark Film Festival hits every checkmark of what makes a fantastic short film. Actress Nadine Scheidecker stars as a beautiful and curious woman who comes across a dark hole against the wall. She is rather inspired to check out what it is and is enthralled by it. After portraying a sense of bliss and happiness in her first time experiencing this hole, she does this again and again with the holes that come across her life.

O is rather genius because director Balkow uses black-and-white cinema. Almost paying tribute to old French cinema like The Girl With Two Faces and the most recent The Eyes of My Mother. This style of cinematography always emphasizes that a tragedy is about to take a place just like in the previous films mentioned. It gives the audience the impression that addiction comes in no colour and knows no colour.

Images

The images that are created in this film are just astounding and true to those who are suffering from addiction. Especially the image of Nadine Scheidecker where it looks as if she stared at Medusa in the eyes and turned into stone. It shows that the main subject is all alone in her struggle with addiction. Furthermore, how trapped she feels in her own body. This sequence is just fitting and intelligent. It’s so frightening and spot-on.

The performance of Nadine Scheidecker is compelling and you can see the development of her character throughout the film. It’s hauntingly beautiful and the fact that there is no dialogue in the film makes her performance effective. Her body language captivates you as someone who is suffering from addiction and it’s striking. Where she starts to where she ends up is an eye-opener. No bugs or aliens here. This is a true body horror film in its finest form.

This is one of the best short films that fits its purpose. It doesn’t leave you hanging in the end and there’s no room for a full feature. It does what is supposed to which is to warn you about that path that you don’t want to take. This is the best short film FERNTV has seen in years and it’s a sign of the times.