Typically, I’m not a huge fan of short films.
Don’t get me wrong: It’s an important medium for filmmakers and there are some fucking great ones out there, but it is *TOUGH* to execute it well. It takes some movies 30 minutes or more just to make an audience give a shit about its characters, much less make it plausible for them to get into any decent conflicts we are emotionally invested in.
“Familiar” doesn’t just pull this off. It does it with ease.
John Dodd feels strangled by his middle-aged suburban life. His venomous thoughts narrate the piece, introducing us to the family he’s become disgusted with. But are they his thoughts after all?
This is full throttle psychological and body horror at its best, Writer / Director Richard Powell has hit it out of the park with a short film that echos shades of Takashi Miike and Croenenberg, while still carrying its own unique voice. This is the kind of shit we need to see more of in American cinema.
Keep an eye on Powell and executive producer Zach Green. Great things are surely on the way.
Rating: 
Sylvester Stallone
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