Short Film Review

Film Info:
Don't let your highs get too high, or
else you will die.

Written By: Ryan Crepack,
David Esposito
Directed By: Ryan Crepack,
David Esposito
Genre: Comedy / Thriller
13 Minutes

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FATAL PREMONITION ( 2016 )

  Most of us know those guys that seem to coast through life, care-free with everything just falling into place. Generally, as a rule of thumb these guys always hit rough patches along the way; always seeming to recover however... and then some. Don't you just hate those guys? What happens if you're one of those guys, but an egotistical A-Hole to boot? Sounds like a recipe for disaster and with "Fatal Premonition" it certainly is... sort of.
  Writer and director(s) Ryan Crepack and David Esposito take us on a journey of sight, sound and cheesy comedy, cramming elements of the "Final Destination" films with your favorite buddy comedies, in an attempt to bring their own vision of dark humor to your eyes. Although it doesn't work perfectly, it works enough to allow a viewing experience you won't just shut down after a few minutes. After all, we all know those guys... and that common ideal keeps us tuned into "Fatal Premonition" like a cat chasing a mouse. Or in this case, a former employee chasing down the man he thinks stole his job. "Fatal Premonition", although not perfect is a fun little diversion, worthy of a gander.
  Now we'll hit up on the technical aspects of "Fatal Premonition" starting with the indie trademark: The infernal shaky cam. Now, this short film isn't littered with the hand-held style we've all come to associate with indie productions; it is present enough to be noticed however. I've said it once I'll say it a hundred more times. A locked off, seemingly boring shot is much more eye pleasing than a shaky, jittery shot. You may think you want some motion, or a pan, but if you can't do it right don't do it. You're only hurting your production. Locked off shots have been around since the dawn of the motion camera. There is a reason for that. They work.
  Aside from that, the actual edit of the production was decent, allowing the film to flow from scene to scene, the use of sound effects and audio stabs also worked well for the most part. Maybe, a little over-done but not that bad. We do have another indie staple that also presents itself, in the form of unusual audio levels in the dialog track. Wind noise and hard cuts from one word to the next exist, but not a lot surprisingly. Aside from a few hits as I mentioned above, the dialog was easy to understand and I never had to "rewind" to hear what was said.
  The acting itself did come across as a little cheesy at times, but I think that was intentional... adding to the comedy of the film. I did, at times see some good chops from our two lead actors, allowing me to correctly understand the "cheese" aspects that came out other times.
  Overall, "Fatal Premonition" will never win an Oscar; but it doesn't need to. I smiled a little as I easily watched the entire movie, making this a title that stands above average. When available, take a quarter hour and check this one out. Interestingly enough, this is one of those short films that would easily translate into a feature production, meaning when you watch... it seems over way to soon.
-JT

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