At the party, the killer’s ‘prop’ is drawing complements from everyone – some even posing for photos with the dead body propped up against a wall – when he meets the gorgeous Maggie (Hannah Tointon), the evening takes an even more bizarre twist.
In our recent exclusive chat with director Paul Davis, he explained that he wanted to achieve a number of things with this latest short. Firstly, he wanted to make a film that differed from the concept of his previous short Him Indoors, which was essentially two people in a room for most of its duration. Secondly, Davis wanted to make a film that would make good use of a big screen. Watching this film, I am pleased to say that he has indeed achieved this. The elaborate opening sequence and introduction to the killer are immediately evident – a nice, flowing camera movement through the flat to the sounds of Swan Lake gives you the impression that this film should really be viewed on a big screen. It moves away from the claustrophobic sensation you get from watching Him Indoors (Let’s face it, it’s a film about an agoraphobic serial killer!).
Review: The Body
By Andreas Charalambous - 4th October 2013
The Body is Paul Davis’ latest horror short, which made its world premiere at FrightFest 2013. Following on the success of his first narrative-led film- Him Indoors – Davis has once again assembled an impressive cast to star in this slick horror/black comedy, The Body.
Set on Halloween night, we are introduced to a killer (Alfie Allen) who has just gone about his murderous duties, and - as I’m sure we have all been here before – what do we have left after killing someone? A body that needs shifting!
We follow the killer as he drags the plastic-wrapped body through the busy streets of London, hiding in plain sight. Other Halloween revelers and passers-by just assume that the blood on the smartly dressed killer’s face and the plastic-wrapped body are just part of an ingenious Halloween costume, and that he is on his way to a Halloween party somewhere.
It is while waiting to cross the road that the killer is disturbed in his mission, when an old acquaintance from school (Christian Brassington) recognises him and – after complimenting his “costume” insists that he joins their group at a nearby Halloween party. The killer even lets the group help carry the body for him through the streets.
The use of sound is very impressive throughout – One example being the moment we are calmly and serenely swept through that opening sequence, to the point the track comes to an abrupt stop as the killer yanks his iPod off the speaker dock, and prepares to transport the body from the crime scene.
This truly is a well thought-out narrative piece that keeps you guessing as to whether the truth will be revealed about the so-called ‘prop’ at any moment. You nervously look on as the situation gets more and more complicated until the film’s climax. Some films take a particular narrative concept, only to draw it out till it becomes tedious and painful for the viewer. This particular film has got it spot on. A well-paced, clever little black comedy, that also offers a few nasty surprises along the way.
As the tagline states, “Some things are exactly as they appear”, and The Body is simply a fun and enjoyable narrative short for anyone with a dark sense of humour.