Off Season (2009)

Director:

Jonathan van Tulleken

Writer:

Jonathan van Tulleken

Stars:

Bill Sage

Nominated for 1 BAFTA Film Award. Another 5 wins & 1 nomination.

Cast

Credited cast:
Bill Sage	...	Man

Storyline

---

Genres:

Short | Horror

---

Details

Official Sites:

Facebook Page Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

22 May 2010 (USA)

Filming Locations:

Cape Cod, Massachusetts, USA

Company Credits

Technical Specs

Runtime:

12 min

Color:

Color

User Reviews

Pretty Darn Creepy

This short is only 12 minutes long but it works its spell very efficiently. It's gruesome without being gory and spooky without overt FX or creatures. Even before the weirdness kicks in there is a sense of something not being right. The man and his dog are already cut off from society, seemingly by choice. He could be a decent guy, he could be a criminal on the run... I liked that there's no attempt to explain his situation beyond his breaking into houses to steal appliances and booze. His only notable quality is his love for his dog. There are a number of other questions left unanswered, which I liked... such as: What's up with the dog's fascination with that house?... and what was going on that night? The implications elevate the material into the realm of the weird. It did make me jump at one point and coming up on the end I had a genuine sense of dread. The ending is the only bit that didn't sit well with me... it was a bit too clever (ala Tales From The Crypt and similar) for my taste in light of what had gone before and seemed unlikely. I think it truncated a lot of the subtle/careful buildup with an easy out (similar to how I felt about the last bits of Yellow Brick Road). I would have preferred something more ambiguous that somehow echoed some of the strange mystery surrounding the place. As it is that ending could exist without ANY of the other elements. Still, it's an excellent little scare film and well worth a watch if you get a chance to see it.