The film's opening is a little odd, as it just starts with no introduction at all. The traditional rule is to start a movie with opening credits, though the trend is fast becoming a movie that starts with a bang, then brings in the credits. These rules can always be bent; in fact this film doesn't show any credits until the film is over, and there's certainly nothing wrong with it. But starting a movie with no introduction at all needs to be done carefully. With one like Someone Else that's a bit more confusing at first, there's an opportunity to give the audience a little teaser – a brief introduction that's a little bit cryptic, but also gives an idea what the film will be about. The movie 12 Monkeys, for example, opened with simple white text/black card that contained the prediction made by a supposed Paranoid Schizophrenic – whom we will later find out is the film's protagonist – about a deadly virus that will wipe out most of humanity (something that later turns out to be true). Something as simple as a dictionary definition of the main character's supposed diagnosis (Paranoid Schizophrenia, Paranoid Personality Disorder, for example); an excerpt from Freud or some other famous psychologist; or even notes made by the main character's own doctor could do a lot to set the scene in the audience's mind.
The initial introduction of the “imaginary friend” is great. The main character is talking with her doctor about her dreams of being watched, and there is a cutaway to her asleep in the couch. It all looks quite innocuous until a figure steps suddenly into the frame. All we see is part of the person's side and one arm, but its still an incredibly creepy shot. Later on there's another great cut from the shot of the main character on the couch alone again, and the frame jumps suddenly to see this dark figure passing behind the door frame, almost as if they had suddenly appeared there like ghosts are reported to do. Its both visually appealing and jarring, and the jump cut was perfectly motivated.
The music in this film was minimal, but I really loved its first appearance. There was no music as the main character opened her front door, collected her mail, and walked into the house. On the mantle were several framed pictures, one of which was oddly turned facing backwards. When she touched the picture to turn it back around, there were two minor-sounding piano notes. When the main character reached for a spot on a bookshelf where her stereo remote should have been, there were a few more notes. Its very subtle, but a great way of drawing attention to these little oddities that an audience might otherwise not notice. The rest of the music was very beautiful and added a great suspenseful feel.
The dialog was clear throughout the film, however the main character had a very thick accent, which I believe was Scottish. Though I watch far more British television shows than could be considered healthy, it still took me a while to even figure out what she was saying at first, and I had to rewind the film a few times to make sure I'd heard correctly.
Over half of this film's £200 budget (approximately $300 US) was spent on renting the office space used as the psychiatrist's office. The remainder went to food for the cast and crew, who worked without pay. The director also was able to get access to filming equipment for almost nothing – always a plus!
For once, perhaps, my Dutch sensibilities can't find anything to criticize in this section! Shocking!
Even though this is a short and rather uncomplicated film, its still very good quality, and successfully tells a very creepy story in a clear and concise manner. The story is also left open to interpretation, which is almost always the best choice; it even touches on the more taboo subject of mental illness. Any sorts of unusual feelings or behaviors tend to make people jump to that sudden conclusion, but there's always the chance that supposed crazy people aren't actually crazy at all. The more ambiguous subject matter may be lost on some audience members and some may find it too confusing, but I think many will certainly appreciate such a well-told story.
The scariest horror movies are always those that take the things we take for granted – such as feeling safe in one's own house – and turning them on their heads. The chances of being kidnapped by Jigsaw, scary though that prospect may be, are next to nothing in comparison. Being spied on in our own home? Far more likely.
Sweet dreams.
