Let me begin by saying I am not a fan of the horror genre. Not that I don't enjoy a good horror film but the purpose of the entire genre is to scare you. I can count the number of horror films that actually frightened me on one hand: The Exorcist, The Shining, The Fourth Kind, and The Conjuring. What do all these films have in common? Children. There's something terrifying about an innocent child forced to confront pure evil that just gets to me. This might be the reason why the short film €Ready or Not€ became my favorite film at the New York City Horror Film Festival this year.
The film's premise is incredibly simple: a preteen, Paige, stops taking her medication and starts trying to kill her family. What I found set it apart is the way sibling rivalry between Paige and her little sister, Ella, is used to motivate Paige throughout the film. The competition between the two begins with just a simple game of €hide and seek€ and ends in a bloodbath.
John Scar directed €Ready or Not€ with two other directing credits already under his belt. It is evident that he had a clear vision of how the film should look from the start and took great care in choosing each and every shot. His ability to get the outstanding performances he needed from all the actors, including children, was stunning. John has a promising career ahead of him if he continues making films in this fashion.
The film was written and produced by Jessica Manherz whose previous film, €Half Empty,€ won her several awards. If €Half Empty€ was anything like €Ready or Not€ then I understand why. She was able to tell a complete story in only 15 minutes while keep the audience on their toes the entire time. She also seems to have put together a great production team. The cinematography was stunning, the acting was incredible, and the music was absolutely breathtaking. It had a child-like tone to it but still managed to put the viewers on edge when needed.
Jessica and John worked together to edit the project. If I weren't paying close attention to it I would not have noticed the editing at all. It was seamless and invisible, allowing audience members to fully absorb themselves in the story without being taken out by noticeable cuts. If there were any issues or flaws during the production period, John and Jessica were able to cover these problems extremely well and keep them hidden in the final cut. The end product was an incredible horror film that I am thrilled to have had the opportunity of seeing. I hope to see more of John Scar and Jessica Manherz' work in the near future!
The film's premise is incredibly simple: a preteen, Paige, stops taking her medication and starts trying to kill her family. What I found set it apart is the way sibling rivalry between Paige and her little sister, Ella, is used to motivate Paige throughout the film. The competition between the two begins with just a simple game of €hide and seek€ and ends in a bloodbath.
John Scar directed €Ready or Not€ with two other directing credits already under his belt. It is evident that he had a clear vision of how the film should look from the start and took great care in choosing each and every shot. His ability to get the outstanding performances he needed from all the actors, including children, was stunning. John has a promising career ahead of him if he continues making films in this fashion.
The film was written and produced by Jessica Manherz whose previous film, €Half Empty,€ won her several awards. If €Half Empty€ was anything like €Ready or Not€ then I understand why. She was able to tell a complete story in only 15 minutes while keep the audience on their toes the entire time. She also seems to have put together a great production team. The cinematography was stunning, the acting was incredible, and the music was absolutely breathtaking. It had a child-like tone to it but still managed to put the viewers on edge when needed.
Jessica and John worked together to edit the project. If I weren't paying close attention to it I would not have noticed the editing at all. It was seamless and invisible, allowing audience members to fully absorb themselves in the story without being taken out by noticeable cuts. If there were any issues or flaws during the production period, John and Jessica were able to cover these problems extremely well and keep them hidden in the final cut. The end product was an incredible horror film that I am thrilled to have had the opportunity of seeing. I hope to see more of John Scar and Jessica Manherz' work in the near future!
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