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Use of Audio
Pretty good sound here, particularly in the impressive design for the POV shots and the final sting. Some conversational audio is a little weak or peaky, depending, and an odd echo present in early scenes makes me think the set wasn’t terribly well furnished, but little to complain about.
The sound design in the final moments compliments the outstanding visuals, making for a terrific final sequence. Again, just imagining the ADR session made me chuckle. Somewhere, some neighbors might have assumed the filmmakers were making the world’s strangest porno.
Use of Budget
The budget limitations were obvious in some of the lighting and staging, but melted away completely in the visual effects department. They are studio quality, and thrillingly reminiscent of the great splatter films of the late 70s and 80s. A seamless blend of practical and computer effects carry the film into a finale that far surpassed their $1100 budget, and will surely bode well for the future of the filmmaker. Given more resources, Jane Rose seems capable of some truly inspired stuff.
Lasting Appeal
This film will probably delight horror festival audiences. It’ll be shown with shorts programs, most likely, but should tickle fans of early Stuart Gordon work and cult faves like “Frankenhooker” (man, this film reminds of “Frankenhooker”) and maybe even some vintage Carpenter fans.
Beyond festival work, though, digital shorts have a hard time finding homes on the general market. The flick would certainly make a welcome addition to a horror short DVD compillation.
Overall Comment
“Heading Home” feels like an homage to a well loved sub-genre. A few structural issues hinder the film early on, but all is forgotten and forgiven when the wickedly well crafted finale kicks in. The promise of some really wonderful material is certainly embedded before that, and this story could be outstanding if the world was narrowed to the experience of one of its three characters. The acting is either appropriately over the top or inappropriately so, depending on the intended tone, but all in all a solid (if not slightly uneven) effort that packs a real punch in the end. Impressive.
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Content |
6.8 |
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Visual
Look |
7.3 |
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Use
of Audio |
8.0 |
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Use
of Budget |
8.5 |
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Lasting
Appeal |
7.5 |
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Overall
Score |
7.6
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Mike Flanagan is an award-winning writer, director and editor of four feature films, including the critically acclaimed horror film ABSENTIA. Based in Los Angeles, Mike has also worked as a professional television editor for over a decade, helming programming for Discovery, Bravo, A&E, and other networks. He is currently in pre-production on his fifth feature film, OCULUS, a feature version of his award-winning short. |
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