Film Review: The Madame in Black (short film)

SYNOPSIS:

After playing the infamous urban legend game “Madame in Black”, Alex and his sister, Sarah, experience the wrath of the evil witch Madame in Black

REVIEW:

More short films, kiddies! Today we have Svarta Madam (The Madame in Black), written and directed by Jarno Lee Vinsencius. The film is in Swedish with English subtitles.

Our story opens with siblings Alex (Oliver Lopez) and Emma (Zalma Lopez) hanging around their grandparent’s house. Left to their own defenses for the afternoon, Emma wants to go into the forbidden basement to play “Svarta Madame” which is basically a Swedish equivalent to the American game “Bloody Mary”. Alex really doesn’t want to, but Emma gouds him into it. So off they go.

22 years later, Alex (Demis Tzivis) and Emma (Ida Gyllensten) get together for Emma’s birthday. Alex has brought a special present – the mirror from Grandma’s basement with which they played the game so many years ago. On a lark, they decide to play it again.

This film won 6 awards at the Barcelona Planet Film festival, and I can see why. There is almost no gore at all, but the suspense is perfectly played. Visually, it’s so dead on. Some really fun stuff going on in the sound production as well.

I really enjoyed this film. It has all the fun of a feature length slasher without the gore or gratutious sex scenes. The story is straight forward, no mucking about, and manages to be pretty damn scary with very little reveal.

So using my special short scale of one to five, five being awesome, I’m giving this film 5 mirrors.