Terminus

2007
8m

IMDb RATING

7.4/10

233

YOUR RATING

Sci-Fi Short Thriller

After inadvertently offending a strange entity that accosts him on his way to work, a 1970s businessman quickly finds himself in the midst if a bizarre predicament. What follows is a rapid d... Read allAfter inadvertently offending a strange entity that accosts him on his way to work, a 1970s businessman quickly finds himself in the midst if a bizarre predicament. What follows is a rapid descent into madness, a journey both eerie and darkly humorous. The exact nature of the bus... Read allAfter inadvertently offending a strange entity that accosts him on his way to work, a 1970s businessman quickly finds himself in the midst if a bizarre predicament. What follows is a rapid descent into madness, a journey both eerie and darkly humorous. The exact nature of the businessman's tormentor is purposefully ambiguous, lending itself to a variety of interpretat... Read all

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

7.4/10

233

YOUR RATING

See production info at IMDbPro

Awards
- 4 wins total

Photos5

User reviews4

7.4233

Featured reviews

9threeJane

Watch it twice.

This film is a family favourite. Even though it's quite scary, and a little violent, my three-year-old is happy to watch it multiple times, from the safety of Mum or Dad's lap. Even on days when we don't watch it, she is comforted that 'monsters' can only go at walking pace, and you can always outrun them, if need be (this is confirmed by the monsters on *Doctor Who*). I think my young daughter continues to watch *Terminus* because she wants to understand the dream scene.

For myself, the 'monsters' in this film remind me of Mr Pump, the golem in Terry Pratchett's novel *Going Postal*. Golems can only go at walking pace, but they can go forever, without eating or sleeping, and they will catch you. For my partner, they remind him of 'machine spirits' in the role-playing game *Shadow Run*.

There are a couple of reasons to watch this short film twice: Certain motifs reappear, allowing you to have a go at working at why these 'machine spirits' are taking over the city. Also, the title of the movie gains added meaning, as you speculate on what happened to the concrete pillar monster's previous subject, and what the title actually refers to.

9ShortoftheWeek

Dark & Beautiful

Terminus (Latin for "boundary stone") is a dark comedy about the self-destructive nature of the human mind and the dangers of urban isolation. In this film, a colossus made of concrete pilings follows a lonely man throughout the city tormenting him as he goes about his daily life on the subway, at the doctor's office, and elsewhere. All the while, a strong, foreboding sense of mental anxiety builds as the man is ultimately driven to extreme ends.

I caught up with Trevor (a Canadian filmmaker and recipient of many visual effects distinctions including 2 Emmy nominations) to ask him some questions about the film

Read this and other online film reviews at my favorite site, ShortoftheWeek.com

Kirpianuscus

the other

So many interpretations for the concrete being and for its mates. The loneliness, the pressure of society, the projection of anxiety, the selfishness or schizoidy. Important - it is a beautiful short film. Well crafted, proposing a precise message, using some humor and a poetry of empty spaces. Golem, guardian, friends, double, shadow. Only its presence defined it as a part of each life. So, an admirable work.