Written and directed by Fred Sprinkle and Tyler Clair Smith, when she discovers something sinister on the set of a short film, an aspiring actress must fight back against a system that sees her as a disposable commodity. Starring: Elisheva Glaser, Elizabeth Saydah, Luke Stratte-McClure, Jeff Verge,and Jordan Bigler.
There’s a smart, confident sense of humour at work with Cut, the writing from Fred Sprinkle and Tyler Clair Smith kicks off on strong footing and is consistent throughout. It lovingly plays with genre, its booming score throwing back to classic horror like Psycho, its atmosphere moves smoothly between horror, comedy and satire. It throws a few jabs at stereotypes of entitled new age directors and maybe even one or two at some typical slasher plot holes. It’s funny but it also holds a genuine tension which is not an easy line to walk, so the filmmakers get a lot of credit in that respect.
It’s similarly well shot, especially capturing the night landscape without losing a natural feel to the aesthetic. Even though it is a film within a film, it doesn’t have an artificial feel, and there’s an interesting hue to the visual which adds a good dose of colour. The editing plays into the rather fast pace and changing nature of the story. It moves quickly but decidedly, it has the edge of mystery but is also very clear.
For a film that has a slight tongue-in-cheek approach, it can sometimes be difficult to hold onto the sincerity but Elisheva Glaser does a great job of being completely convincing. She has a charm and relatability, as well as the classic slasher leading lady feel. Luke Stratte-McClure brings the perfect amount of arrogance and over-confidence as our dictator meets director. While Jeff Verge brings the archetypal actor looking for some motivation.
Cut is funny and a smart play on genres while also throwing back to classic horror and slashers. It’s a satisfying mix of comedy, horror and satire, it’s fast paced and constantly pushing forward. The editing, direction and score all enhance each of the themes and there’s a very strong team at work to bring all the elements together to create an extremely entertaining 5 minutes.
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