Inland Freaks
“Inland Freaks” has a wonderful aesthetic echoing the grungy personality of the characters it introduces. The overall plot is a bit unsettling, but it makes the short film all that much more interesting. With the help of the camerawork and cinematography, along with the acting, the director, Kalainithan Kalaichelvan, explores the psyche of predatory men as they enter an experimental treatment program to rid them of their desires.
Right from the start I was hooked. It opens up on the protagonist staring down at something as he sits. The music that starts playing is a little unnerving as it slowly unwinds into a curious, embellished, piece of highs and lows. Then it’s followed by a voiceover telling him to sign. The Man signs a paper. We are then thrust into this prison-like camp. We follow this Man as he witnesses these other men echoing an unnerving chant, one that you would hear in a cult or in a brainwashing-type-of-camp, and from there the story really takes off. To avoid spoilers, I’m not going to discuss what happens in the program (there’s more besides the chant) and I do think that it’s something worth watching for how well-crafted the short film itself is.
Like I mentioned earlier, “Inland Freaks” has a grungy look. By that I mean it’s very grainy and the lighting is gloomy – it’s haunting and dark. Yet, it’s so wonderfully lit and the camera movement acts as a driving force to really move the story along at a really steady pace. Every shot counts and contributes something to the story that’s being told. The grungy look really does help set the tone as the treatment program is rather dark in terms of emotion and subject matter. It also adds to the “prison” look that can be a metaphor for the characters at hand as well.
I really enjoyed the overall acting. Our protagonist gives us a sense that perhaps he really doesn’t belong in the program. He hardly says anything and it’s conveyed through emotion and body movement rather than dialogue. How the filmmakers set up the ending really add to the mystery of the character. There’s another character in this short film that talks to the protagonist that pulled off a really convincing role as well. There’s one part in particular where he gives a minor monologue by telling a story and the last few segments of it are extremely haunting.
The writing and directing are clever and I wasn’t really knowing what to expect within the first scene alone. As the story progressed, I felt uncomfortable with the subject matter, but the dialogue and the direction of the story really pulled me in. I ultimately wanted to know why these men were having these fantasies. And a bigger question rises by the end of the film: have these predators already committed these acts or are they in this rehabilitation-like program beforehand to really help themselves suppress the urges?
I’m recommending this for how captivating the story became as it unfolded and for how well-crafted it is alone on a technical note. Everything in this short film counts towards something and there’s not a moment where I was taken out. For having a budget of less than $5,000 I am impressed with how professional it looks and how well-paced the end product came to be.
