Explosions (2012) User Reviews

Dark Plot Surrounded By Impressive Special Effects. ♦ 53%

[nairtejas · 5/10 · 23 July 2013]

The main reason to watch the 7-minute short is the crescendoing music. Since there is no story as such, the substance to be interpreted is left to the audience which is why I rate it a mediocre 5.3/10.

It starts and intrigues. Then it talks a bit & ends with confusion. The unrelated climactic sequence actually is ambiguous, although the story, which I think the maker had a lot of trouble in defining, is straightforward. It reflects the way our world works, sometimes - totally weird & unexpected & feasible, that's what I interpreted. And it is good depiction.

Little bit more details on the implications could've earned it an 8 rating, but as a review, Explosions excites but dims towards the end.

BOTTOM LINE: Recommended. Pause your Facebook for 7 minutes & grab that inventive SFX, VFX & theme. Available on Vimeo & Short Of The Week!

The Style More Or Less Makes Up For The Lack Of Substance

[Theo Robertson · 8/10 · 28 February 2014]

A young woman awakes one morning and is shocked to find passerbys suddenly defy the laws of gravity and float in to the sky . Vainly trying to escape in her car she runs out of petrol and becomes caught up in this strange force

EXPLOSIONS is one of these short film where the enigma of the story stays unexplained and everything revolves around mood , atmosphere and visuals . There is also no dialogue to the story and none of this should in anyway be taken as a criticism . Writer/director Christopher Frey has crafted a stunning looking short film that has the power to haunt . I couldn't find any information as to how much it cost to produce but it is enhanced by some stunning effects and cinematography and the whole look of the film is more impressive than you'll find in many Hollywood blockbusters due to its ethereal beauty . I've also no knowledge of Mr Frey either but since he concentrates on the mood and atmosphere I can see him becoming the natural successor to another Aussie director John Hillcoat who made THE ROAD and GHOSTS OF THE CIVIL DEAD

The atmosphere and look is the all, but it does it very well

[bob the moo · 2 March 2014]

There is something in here about the rapture if you want it, but for me it is less specific than this and instead is just generally about death. We see people floating up and then transforming into balls of light, with no trace left. As the film draws to a close, the woman who we have followed trying to escape this fate, dips her head and with noticeable calmness prepares for her next step. This is the whole film but it is much better than I have just suggested because it really doesn't seem too worried about explaining everything to the viewer.

Instead it is about the atmosphere of the film and in this regard Frey does deliver because the film is quite a touching experience even though it is delivered without words and entirely through music and images. I don't do the rest of the crew a disservice by naming Frey in particular, because this was clearly an effort on his part since the credits list his name frequently, from director, edited, composer, producer, visual effects and I guess he probably made the tea at some point too. The end result is a rather beautiful although what you take from it is really up to you since the film offers no meaning, no reason – not even an indication if the people are panicking, in pain or anything. Instead we have the music gradually build in a way I found engaging and matching the beauty of the idea. Personally I see the burst to be death and I was touched by the woman's acceptance of it without fear at the end and I also liked the way the film came to the ground rather than making her specifics a big deal at the end.

Frey has done a very nice job here and the result is a short film that is very much about atmosphere and feelings over content and narrative, and that it is quite beautiful to see and hear is proof that the approach has worked in this instance.

cold poetry

[Kirpianuscus · 15 October 2019]

Music. Images. Special effects. a story for feel it. Not more but enough for a sort of trip in yourself, across thoughts, emotions and memories, remember of Chagall and a different form of end of humankind. So, a special cold poetry , tool for explore of yourself more than source of authentic story.