Film Review: Nova (short film) (2020)

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SYNOPSIS:

Dr. Nova Thorpe must warn everyone that something is on the loose. Something, different.

REVIEW:

More short films, kiddies! Today we have NOVA, written and directed by David McAbee.

ok, I do not want to give any spoilers here. This is super cool. I’m not even sure exactly what I watched, or how to describe it, but it was amazing on so many levels.

It appears to be a science fiction story, although what specifically is going on is hard to settle. Is it the zombie apocalypse? or aliens? or some sort of parasite? Maybe a genetic experiment? Either way, whatever the good Doctor Nova Thorpe (Kelly Kula) has done, it has gone most heinously awry.

Nova is the only character we see for most of the eight minutes of this film. She is not having a good day. Not at all. The special effects (by Logan Horberg according to the credits) are incredible. The cameras never leaves Ms. Kula, and we watch everything happen in real time right before our very eyes.

I have to give a shout out to the editing on this film. Its seemless as we watch the effects build layer by layer. Yea, there is a bit of CGI in there, but it seems mostly practical and I never saw any bumps or blips in the passage of the visuals. It just keeps getting more gruesome and more brutal as you watch and its just incredible.

Ms Kula’s performance is also so amazing. its hard to carry a story alone, with all eyes on one person that is being relied upon to tell the what needs to be told, both verbally and physically.

I really want a feature length film based on this story. I really, really do. This moment in time, during what is clearly an extinction-level event, needs to give me more. And if I get that wish, I truly hope Ms. Kula is the one to play this part.