Tuesday, July 8, 2014

Short Film: 9 Minutes


"9 MINUTES" written and directed by P.J. Wolff

9 Minutes is a suspense-laden short film the achieves more chills in nine minutes than most big budget films accomplish in a hundred and twenty.

The film takes place in Joshua Tree, a scenic and secluded desert area east of L.A., where the lead character, played by Joshua Leonard, is out working on his isolated vacation home alone.  One night, he's awoken by a violent bang outside the house.  When he goes to investigate, he blacks out, but he's left with nine minutes of video recorded on his iPhone.

Like the leading man's last project, The Blair Witch Project, 9 Minutes is well-crafted story that takes a grip on the audience and doesn't let go until the final frames.  Danger looms just outside the protagonist's perception through the entire story, baiting the audience to the edge of their seats. 

What's interesting is that, like The Blair Witch Project, the camera once again plays a pivitol role in the story, almost like a second character.  I find that very refreshing, given what a stumbling block the advent of cellphones has posed to the horror genre, and I think that the camera's central role is the key to the success of both films.


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