From the moment I placed this screener disc into my player and was confronted by a main menu page depicting newspaper cuttings detailing how child abuse breeds killers, to the minute I pressed ‘play’ and read the opening text introduction of this 24-minute short, I was a tad concerned about what I was about to see.
That introduction, in full:
"Art mirrors the spirit of the age in which it emerges. In this case, an era of disillusionment, corruption and deception spawns a hopeless response in many.
"The images in this film do not reflect the mental or physical disabilities of the human race, but symbolises (sic) the moral state of the society in which we live.
"The following film contains disturbing images that will shock."
All of which is played out silently; white text upon a black background.
Then we meet Leon (Richard Robotham), a bearded loner of a man-child with serious issues and nothing in the way of social skills. He misses his recently departed mother, so much so that he’s plagued by the voice of his father who abused him as a child, and compelled to do awful things as a result.
The first atrocity we witness Leon indulging in is biting off the head of his pet mouse ... and eating it.
Then Leon ventures down to his local video rental store in search of a good horror film for the night. He chooses one called "The Kidderminster Killer". The store’s owner has no knowledge of the film or how it got to be on his shelves, and so gives it to Leon free of charge.
Back in his festering home, Leon begins to watch the film – a cavalcade of gory depravities – and decides he likes what he sees. To the extent that he has a good wank over it, much to the appreciation of his father’s ghostly voiceover.
Yeah, this is going to end well. It’s building up to something ... nasty. "Remember, to be free" the father tells Leon in one of his spiritual visitations, "the victims must be random". Yes, we swiftly have a psycho killer on our hands.
But killing a dog is one thing. Can a simpleton who’s been left alone in the world with no guidance progress to the murder of fellow humans. Well, what do you think?
Surprisingly well-lit and agreeably framed, this is an extremely good-looking and considered piece of filmmaking. Director Bazz Hancher is hardly showcasing, but nevertheless exhibits a fluid sense of storytelling and a strong sense of atmospherics. There is humour in there, but this also jarringly off-kilter – as well as being very British in its execution and feel.
Performances are good for what they are, and there are some stunningly executed compositions in this enjoyable short. But, as mentioned above, Hancher doesn’t overplay the "Aren’t I clever?" aspect – he keeps things taut and harrowing, albeit shot through a quintessentially British quirkiness.
This makes the gory denouement and the final act’s rape scene – explicit albeit brief buggery – all the more shocking.
Aside from the reek of latter-day Hammer and early Pete Walker, I also gathered reference points such as Jim van Beber’s ROADKILL: THE LAST DAYS OF JOHN MARTIN and Jorg Buttgereit’s NEKROMANTIK. Whether I’m correct about these allusions, I’m unsure: but I was definitely taken back to these infamous films while watching this atmospheric troubler.
A noteworthy name crops up on the closing credits: Thomas Lee Rutter (THE LAST ZOMBIE HUNTER).
LEON’S BROKEN MIND is a weird, disturbing and effectively made short that demonstrates Hancher’s ability to progress, budget and material permitting, into some seriously satisfying horror filmmaking.
This screener disc presented the film in a very nice, crisp and clean 16x9 picture, with choices of 2.0 stereo and Dolby 5.1 English audio.
For more information, visit www.whiteravenfilms.co.uk.
Review by Stu Willis
| Released by White Raven Films |