Shortwave (2016)
Starring Cristobal Tapia Montt, Juanita Ringeling, Kyle Davis
Directed by Ryan Gregory Phillips
Director Ryan Gregory Phillips’ psychological horror film Shortwave turns the dial clockwise looking for some positive reception, and only after sifting through some restrictive static do we find some noises that are moderately pleasing to the ear.
Josh (Montt) and Isabel (Ringeling) are a young couple who’ve recently suffered a tragic loss in their lives; the disappearance of their only child has already complicated what’s been a troubled existence for the pair. Josh’s work as a type of alien signal researcher has suffered immensely since the event, and the idea of moving the couple into some new digs at least appears to be the elixir for a new beginning.
At the moment when it looks as if grief has finally won out… things get just a bit bleaker when Josh and his research partner (Davis) finally manage to isolate a signal on their radar, and oddly enough Isabel begins to respond to it in very erratic ways. Violent seizures, all-too-realistic hallucinations, and the inability to step foot outside the house are just a few ways that these shortwave transmissions are plaguing her.
Phillips’ direction relies heavily on the usage of claustrophobic situations, paranoia within characters, and, at times, smothering dream sequences (which can be a bit much). Montt and Ringeling do an admirable job of conveying real tension between the pair, and it only adds to the already burdening feelings of loss and regret for a couple who are trying to cohabitate while subconsciously hating each other for the absence of their child – pretty strong stuff.
All of the previously mentioned instances plus some genuinely creepy thrills add up to a fun late-night watch, and I could recommend it to those who are looking for something to tune in to…I mean, the noises on this Shortwave certainly sound better than that crap that’s plaguing the airwaves today loosely masqueraded as “music.”
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Film
Categorized:Reviews
