Killer Karma
KILLER KARMA is horror-thriller where the bullies become the bullied. The film starts with a high speed, rambling narrative giving the backstory of our characters that leads us to the present. When a popular teenage girl tells her boyfriend about some perceived, unwanted attention from the new guy at school, he and his friend confront the new guy and seek revenge. This is a tale that could occur in almost any typical high school throughout the nation. But this tale of revenge is anything but typical.
The confrontation leads to a mysterious turn of events when the new kid confronts them with their own deepest and darkest fears. He tells each of them what they are most afraid of, and why. Spooked, the teens go their own ways only to be haunted by these fears in the coming days.
Suspenseful direction and artful cinematography is well captured throughout the film. Maximizing effective locations, strong performances, and a solid script helps to create an introduction to the suspense that continues and builds throughout this engaging short film.
Things take a surprising turn when a dangerous criminal offender escapes from a nearby prison, and our trio of teens are forced to face the reality of their fears. The predicted horrors that the new kid prophesized start to come true in the shape of an escaped serial killer, the irrational fear of dolls, and the sad eventuality of a drug overdose. In this film, our characters are hunted and killed by what they are most afraid of.
Donning a typical inmate jumpsuit, the wardrobe was simple and well thought out, and helped to create a terrifying and realistic effect of an escaped serial killer. Combined with the makeup, the music, and a solid performance, this production team contributed towards creating a ruthless villain who will keep this writer awake at night.
This film is more horror than thriller, but without any gratuitous violence or gore. The scares are real, and the action escalates as the stakes for our characters grow higher with every scene. The story is well captured visually without excessive dialogue or expository scenes, and we are on an emotional roller coaster as we race for our lives with our characters as they try to escape from their darkest fears.
I look forward to seeing more work from this director and his team. Carson McKinnon is a talent to watch, and has envisioned a terrifying character who will haunt audiences as much as the characters in this film. I could easily see this short film becoming a feature length horror film and would love to see the depths of these characters and their internal conflicts more on the big screen.
This film showcases the director and his ability to tell a simple story well. There was little or no CGI, and the story relied on performances, direction, quality sound design, music, and the overall skill of the production team. It left me panting and wanting more. Can’t wait to see more.
