Director – Richard Russell (Dinner Guest, Pills)
Starring – Joseph Moreland (Mothman, Cobra Kai), Brett Voina (Poetic Kill, Disconnected), and Kyle Shaw (1665, Ill Part II)
Release Date – 2022
Rating – 3/5
With Halloween just a short period away I find myself completely submerging into horror. Every aspect of my love is horror or horror related and I fucking love it. Sure, I watch and review horror almost daily but now I’m given the freedom to enjoy the genre from the time I wake up until I go to bed as stores, television, radio stations, and other outlets decorate for the holiday. As October was approaching I was asked to review the horror short Thewlis from indie filmmaker Richard Russell. This was my first exposure to his work and I was looking forward to it. I want to thank Richard for sending this one my way to check out.
**Spoiler Alert** The film follows a father that struggles with an alcohol addiction which has prevented him from keeping a job. While on a beer run he meets a man and offers him a ride which becomes one of the biggest mistakes of his natural life. **Spoiler Alert*(*
Thewlis doesn’t really bring us something we’ve never seen before or a story that will stick with you. However, it still finds it’s footing and delivers a pretty solid short that teeters between horror and dark thriller.
The acting in this one is surprisingly well done. The cast really finds their stride and their on screen chemistry is fantastic. The characters are very well written and the cast does a fantastic job at bringing them to life. The story for this one is short and straight to the point. We get a decent amount of character development that only furthers the story. The story doesn’t over-complicate things. We have a solid slow start before coming to an intense finish. It was a lot of fun if you gave it a chance.
Finally, the film has a little bit of blood but don’t expect it to be a bloodbath. The death we get isn’t that memorable but it does fit in with the film. Overall, Thewlis is an impressive short that has some great cinematography, an amazing cast, and a decent enough story. Russell should be proud of what he accomplished here. Check it out.
