What They Say has been floating around the indie film festival circuit since 2011. Three years later this title is still mentioned and talked about on blogs. Having finally seen the short film myself, I can see why.
What They Say is written by Heather Dorff and Kelsey Zukowski and directed by Justin R. Romine. Cast members include Heather Dorff (Truth or Dare), Kelsey Zukowski (Words Like Knives), Kitsie Duncan (Found), Tina Renee Grace (Bacon), Dave Juehring, Tyler Klunick, and a cameo by Colleen McDermott (“As The World Turns”).
“They thought she had the perfect life; wealthy and privileged, an honor student with her whole life mapped out. What they didnt know was what lied inside of her; pain and anguish; tearing at her until there was nothing left. Lost and alone, the young woman (Heather Dorff) finds solace in the form of a glistening blade, splitting her skin deeply. Her self-indulgent mother and obnoxious sister (Kelsey Zukowski) are completely oblivious to her inner-turmoil. She has long since become numb to the world around her, getting that sensual release, as the razor cuts deeper, watching the blood drip, is all that matters. As soon as the last drop falls, the calm is stripped away from her with it. How far will she go to silence the hunger that now consumes her? Will she be able to regain control of her life, body, and sanity?”
The film creators of the Midwest have the great ability to effortlessly infuse multiple themes into their plots. This makes the experience of watching What They Say more enjoyable as a viewer, especially one who can appreciate the journey and the point behind a bloody, psychological-drama. Themes shown in this short film include isolation, self mutilation, hopelessness, alienation, and the pressure of high society. The self mutilation was a little difficult for me to watch, so I just want that to be a warning out there to people who may suffer from that kind of trouble.
There aren’t many lead roles in this film, more-so the majority of the cast list is filled with featured extra parts. For the people who did speak – most notably Dorff, Duncan, and Zukowski – the performances were dark, hateful, depressing, and even nonchalant in a ‘we don’t care that we’re bad people’ kind of way. Had this short film been a little longer, I would have loved to see more character development with the narrator’s father and boyfriend. Unfortunately this title leaves little room for a sequel!
From a production standpoint, while others may disagree, I didn’t find much flaw in quality. A few audio levels were a tad too high, but all in all – this was a short indie film. What did you expect? Decent camera work, great actors, a twisted script, and lots of different angles and sets. I think, maybe, I was so into the plot, so into the mind-fuck that I completely looked past whatever else may constitute as an error. And the blood was red. Red and realistic, something you don’t always see in small budgeted horror films.
My only real critique is the subject of the demon/monster in the mirror. Several shots had the lead girl looking into a mirror or just appearing like a demon/monster in general. It could have been a psychological manifestation of how she felt about herself…or it could have been a real life force driving her to give up. I would have liked to see that particular aspect cleared up a bit, but hey, maybe the real answer is best left to my imagination.
A gut retching, heart stopping sinister drama – What They Say is not for the faint of heart or complacent. I rate it at 7.5 out of 10.
