“Replay” Unveils the Horrors of Redemption

Filmmaker Devin G. Squire’s short film “Replay,” a chilling tale of redemption, is an official selection at the upcoming Utah International Film Festival.

“Replay” found its start from Squire’s desire to delve into the horror genre after showcasing comedy horrors at the revival of the “It’s Only a Movie” film festival. Inspired by the concept of a man reliving a traumatic experience, the entire short film played out in Squire’s mind on a fateful night. As the idea evolved, it transformed into a deeply personal narrative, with hopes of expanding it into a full-length feature film.

The cast, led by Devin G. Squire himself, along with Ruthy Stapleton, Zel McAllister, William McAllister, and Ross Adamson, breathes life into the characters navigating through an emerging technology that offers the promise of perfect redemption.

Squire, reflecting on the production, expressed the challenge of revisiting the early 2000s and his childhood through characters, production design, and shooting sequences on a childhood camcorder with actual tape. The most difficult aspects included personal challenges, dealing with difficult individuals, executing intricate effects, transforming spaces convincingly, developing relatable characters in a short time span, and ensuring emotional beats hit the mark.

When asked about potential changes if given the chance to go back, Squire drew a parallel to the film’s premise. 

“Well funny you should ask given the premise of the film. I could go on and on about the amount of things I would’ve liked to have gone differently and although the potential is alluring you have the knowledge that you do because of the past. Without it there is no room to learn, grow, improve, and become better than you were before. So instead I will take all that I have learned from this project to better the feature and all other projects.”

For aspiring filmmakers, Squire’s advice is candid – he suggests not pursuing film unless the passion is intense.

“Anyone who truly has an intense desire to pursue film is gonna do it regardless of any odds and challenges that come their way. We do it not because we wanted to or thought it would be fun. We do it because we have such an intense love and passion for it that there’s absolutely nothing else we’d rather do. All that said I at least recommend starting very simple Focus on telling a good story with very little characters, locations, and effects. Use the resources you have, also get on other sets as even just a PA if you can.”

To stay updated on Devin G. Squire’s projects, interested audiences can follow him on Instagram or Facebook @DevinGSquire. For those eager to be part of projects in development or learn more about them, a direct message on social media or an email to devingsquire@gmail.com is welcomed.

“Replay” is an official selection in the Utah International Film Festival February 12-17 and will be screening at Maven Cinema in American Fork, UT.