Film Review: Grandma’s House (short film) (2017)

SYNOPSIS:

A home invasion story… sort of.

REVIEW:

It is so hard to talk about this film without discussing the twist but I will try my best. First of all, there is absolutely no dialogue in this film – unless you count the words sung by the opera singer on Grandma’s record player – and I love a short with no dialogue. I don’t want the filmmakers wasting time with exposition-driven words. I don’t need a backstory if I’m only going to be watching for 10 minutes and director Joshua Guilliano seems to have truly grasped this by focussing more on pacing and camera work.

There are several shots towards the beginning of Grandma’s feet; we see her move centimetre by centimetre and hear the shuffle of her slippers on the floor giving a tangibility to the viewing experience. And, speaking of heightening our senses, the score is excellently used in this film, adding a sense of urgency which is beautifully juxtaposed against the opera on the record player and, indeed, moments of total silence.

While this film might not be the most terrifying, it is masterfully suspenseful and, from start to finish, I was on the edge of my seat, totally intrigued as to what was going to happen. I realise I haven’t mentioned the acting in this review but, again, I don’t wish to give to much away. Suffice to say both actors play their parts of victim and prey very convincingly.