Sinister shorts: Reviewing Canadian shorts at Toronto After Dark

A thrilling series of horror and humorous films by Canadian creators premiered at the Toronto After Dark Film Festival

By Alisha Shaikh

Canadian short films at the Toronto After Dark Film Festival (Posters courtesy of TADFF and edit made by Alisha Shaikh)

The Toronto After Dark Film Festival premiered nine great Canadian short films. Each film takes a unique look, bringing a diverse collection to the spooky season. All nine shorts listed below are rated from most to least entertaining to me.

Bloodline

Bloodline is a short film directed by Richard Rotter. The story follows a young woman who tries to care for her sick, blood thirsty father while simultaneously creating a life for herself. The film is very gory and bloody, inspired by classic vampire tropes. It’s a beautiful yet tragic story of a father-daughter relationship that incorporates horror aspects, making it a perfect Halloween watch.

Demon Box

Demon Box, written by Steve Manale, dives deep into the psychological aspect of the human mind relating to topics of the Holocaust. The film opens up with a great line, calling itself a festival reject and  proclamining the film  as  too deep and dark to be premiered at festivals. Throughout the short film, there is a painfully direct narration that takes a simultaniously funny and ironic take on the usually taboo subject of the Holocaust and suicide. It invokes many mixed emotions. All in all, Demon Box is a greatly narrated scary story with deeper meaning.

Thriving: A Dissociated Reverie

Thriving: A Dissociated Reverie is a story based on the lived experience of a black, nonbinary, disabled artist and former sex worker, Nicole Bazuin. A surrealist examination of dissociative identity disorder (DID) is presented. Just like Demon Box by Steve Manale, this short film takes a funny, ironic take on a serious topic. Showing the audience the scary yet very authentic reality of what people diagnosed with DID go through. 

Night Drives: Campfire in the Sky

A three-minute-long animated film about coworkers and their take on camping It’s a short, funny and comical skit. The story goes on as all three colleagues share their camping experiences when one mentions the presence of aliens and a UFO. This film is neither scary nor fits into the spooky season vibe. Yet, it's the perfect addition to Toronto After Dark, adding a touch of lightheartedness and entertaining dialogue.

Bird Hostage

Bird Hostage, written and directed by Lauren Andrews, is a brief, inspiring story of a scary bird that is kept caged by an ignorant owner. The pet bird is not allowed out of its cage, yet after hearing his dreams and goals, a pet sitter releases the scary-looking vulture. It's a wonderful though weird story about life and how one should follow their dreams, no matter how caged they may feel.

Ghosts Do Not Exist

An intriguing story about a paranormal investigator who makes one last attempt to prove the existence of the myth of the Bloody Mary. This story is directed like a classic horror film, with the traditional dim lighting and eerie scenes. Because the myth of the Blood Mary is one most people grew up hearing and fearing, Ghosts Do Not Exist is also oddly comforting and evokes a sense of nostalgia. 

Forgotten Lake

This short film, written and directed by Brooks and Kennedy, is more than just a skit: it's a great beer commercial. It centers on two counselors at Forgotten Lake Summer Camp who are shocked to learn that the campfire myth of the Blueberry Boy is true. It starts off with the classic campfire story, building up the suspense with a mix of gore and humour; only in the end is the film revealed to be an advertisement.

Your Money’s No Good Here

This short film by Alex Forman is a comedic story about a man who misunderstands the common phrase, “Your money’s no good here.” This sends his life into a downhill but also humorous spiral. However, the film is not necessarily scary or frightening; it doesn't resonate with the spooky Halloween vibe like the other films.

Colin Carvey’s Long Halloween

A group of about 60 artists and weirdos from Port Hope, Ont., created Colin Carvey's Long Halloween. The movie centers on Colin, a young man who has a mask stuck to his body and tries to escape his glued-down costume, only to get confused for a serial killer. Colin Carvey’s Long Halloween is filmed like a vintage silent movie, with cue cards inserted to help piece the story together. In a similar vein to Your Money’s No Good Here, Colin Carvey’s Long Halloween is also not scary but still has a Halloween feeling to it.

Lovely, Dark, and Deep: A deeper look into the terrifying woods

A mysterious unraveling by Teresa Sutherland at Toronto After Dark Film Festival

By Alisha Shaikh

Still shot from Lovely, Dark, and Deep (Courtesy of TDAFF)

Lovely, Dark, and Deep, a psychological horror film directed and written by Teresa Sutherland, was screened at the Toronto After Dark Film Festival, an annual showcase of horror, sci-fi, thriller, and action cinema.

After co-writing, Midnight Mass, a successful Netflix horror series, Teresa Sutherland makes her directorial debut with Lovely, Dark, and Deep. The beautifully directed horror film stars Georgina Campbell, best known for her roles in the horror films Barbarian and Bird Box Barcelona. The film follows Lennon, Campbell’s character, a new backcountry ranger, as she wanders the terrifyingly strange wilderness to learn more about the tragedies that occurred there and have plagued her since she was a young child.

Campbell’s acting throughout the film was very realistic. She fully immersed herself in the role, and brought her character to life. Campbell’s character is very intricate, as she is haunted by past memories but still shows persistence in moving forward and finding answers. One gets the impression that they are traveling on a quest of horrifying discovery alongside Campbell's character, experiencing all of her feelings. 

The film direction plays a brilliant role in capturing the audience, creating an eerie and mysterious atmosphere throughout the film. Sutherland's directorial talents are well-displayed in the film; these skills are a key factor in why Lovely, Dark, and Deep has the feel of a psychological horror film that truly scares the audience.

The film’s colour palette is based on brownish, cool, and dull tones. This is perfect to create the lure of the terrifying woods and what lies behind the shadows. Many scenes follow dark and gloomy undertones, which allows the audience to feel present in the woods as if they are rangers themselves. 

While Sutherland has shown off her directorial talents in Lovely, Dark, and Deep, her writing talents seem to have been overshadowed. The plot starts strong and steady, slowly drawing the audience in. However, it does not excel beyond that. Lovely, Dark, and Deep’s storyline shortly turns confusing and disjointed. 

The film starts off greatly while hooking the audience to the plot. The scenes gradually build up, creating suspense with characters covered in blood and terrified by the unknown. Viewers are left wondering why people are going missing in the woods—is there a bigger monster lurking in the shadows? 

The plot continues to thicken, creating a lure, but then ends with no answer, solution, or explanation. The main issue with the plot lies in its lack of closure; it ends with the viewer longing for more answers or at least an explanation. The ending feels foolish since the audience is left wondering, “What does that mean? Huh?”

All in all, while the ending of the film did lack closure, Lovely, Dark, and Deep is a greatly crafted horror film. Campbell’s acting highlights Sutherland's talents, bringing together a great film for the Halloween season.

Restore Point: a unique, original new addition to the sci-fi cyberpunk genre

The film challenges its audience with difficult ethical questions to ponder long after the credits have stopped rolling.

(Courtesy of TADFF)

By Azalea Young

Robert Hloz isn’t new to the filmmaking game—he has already directed three projects, and his latest, Restore Point, is a fast-paced sci-fi thriller that keeps you intrigued in this world and these characters until the end. The film examines themes surrounding capitalism and even comments on the justice system. When the film concludes, the viewer is left with one important question: what will our own future look like?

Set in the year 2041 in Central Europe, we follow Agent Em (Andrea Mohylová), a detective on the police force who is investigating the terrorist attacks of a group called River of Life. They do not use or believe in the resurrection technology of Restore Point, which allows a person to come back to life if they have a backup version of themselves saved. People who use this technology have to back up every 48 hours to protect themselves from death.

When Em hears about the murders of David Kurlstat and his wife (Matej Hádek and Katarzyna Zawadzka), she is reassigned to that case and eventually comes to discover how the terrorist attacks and the couple’s deaths are intertwined. She finds out that David, a prominent researcher at Restore Point has come back to life via a saved backup of his brain and body from six months ago, and the investigation turns into a manhunt for his murderer, Viktor Toffer (Milan Ondrík). 

When Em and David inevitably find Toffer, he reveals information about Restore Point that leads them to uncover the secrets the corporation keeps hidden. It appears that in a world where humanity has beaten death, there are still greater threats lurking.

The worldbuilding is reminiscent of other sci-fi cyberpunk-esque films but produces an original concept with the idea of the Restore Point system. For a film set in the year 2041, this world almost seems accessible today, even though it’s still 18 years away. The reasoning for this is simple. In an interview with CanCulture, Hloz said that he wants viewers to see the idea of this technology in its early stages. 

“These first users are used as test subjects,” he said. “We wanted [the technology] to feel new, the same way it will feel new for the audience.” Hloz also adds that because he wanted the technology to feel very new, the time frame was potentially going to be earlier than 2041. “We were having discussions about whether [the film] should be even earlier, like maybe 2038, but it felt too close,” he said. 

Besides fleshing out the technology, the characters are also fully developed, and each has their own ambitions and struggles. The main character, Em, is a character that demonstrates this very well. The audience can clearly see why she is invested in the crimes that have been happening, and how her past has played a large part in bringing her into the police field. The beginning of the film, in particular, shows the audience why she has become more reserved and quiet but puts on a strong facade. Her grief over the people she has lost is carried with her, and Mohylová does an excellent job of showing the audience this when interacting with characters like David, as they bond over the loss of his loved ones.

The film presents interesting questions about the value of life and death, and how they operate in this world. When asked about the technology’s ability to bypass death, Hloz talks about how the topic plays into the overarching message of the movie. 

“Where is the boundary [between] how we should feel safe and how should we feel free?” He said. “It starts an interesting debate.”

Hloz adds that because of the technology people are simultaneously free but not free, since they spend so much time thinking about the system keeping them alive and restoring their backups to really enjoy much else. 

“It gives you this amazing safety but at the same time, it takes away your freedom because it constantly reminds you that you can die at any moment, and you should do something against that,” he said. “It gives you this extra layer of stress.”

Since the Restore Point technology imposes a new set of rules for humanity, the themes that Hloz discusses here spark a compelling debate about how ethical this technology really is in the hands of humans. It’s up to viewers to decide for themselves where they stand on such a heavy question.

Restore Point presents a dark and immersive world not unlike our own, potentially giving us a glimpse into what our future can look like. It offers its audience the chance to become intrigued with its technology and new rules, putting a spin on classic dystopian and sci-fi films while giving us something unique. The end of the film also asks the audience to think about how our justice system works, and whether or not the conclusion for some of the characters is justified.

Although Restore Point is not as dramatic or fast-paced as others in the genre, it’s still a fun time if you’re looking for an adventurous movie that captivates you from the start and leaves you questioning your own mortality.

Turning a Christmas classic into a slasher: An interview with the writer-producer of It’s A Wonderful Knife

After writing the script for Freaky (2020), Michael Kennedy returns to the horror genre with a new and bloody spin on It’s Wonderful Life.

By: Isabella Soares 

 Jane Widdop as Winnie Carruthers in It’s a Wonderful Knife (Image via RLJE Films and Shudder)

Writer and producer Michael Kennedy’s latest onscreen endeavour, It’s A Wonderful Knife, brings a new twist to the 1940s holiday classic by turning it into a slasher. 

The film is focused on Winnie Carruthers, played by Yellowjackets’ alum Jane Widdop, a girl who struggles to carry on after she saves her town from a masked serial killer. As she wishes to have never been born, Winnie ends up in a parallel universe that shows her what would have happened to her family and community if she didn’t exist. 

It isn’t the first time that Kennedy has come up with a slasher based on a feel-good classic. His first venture was in 2020 with Freaky, a body-swap horror film that was inspired by the Freaky Friday series. The positive feedback and memorable experiences on set on his previous project were what drew him to partner with director Tyler MacIntyre to work on It’s a Wonderful Knife, both as a writer and a producer. 

Ahead of the film’s sold-out screening at the 2023 Toronto After Dark Film Festival, Kennedy spoke with CanCulture about the behind-the-scenes process of writing the script, casting Justin Long as the devious Mayor Henry Waters (aka the psychotic serial killer tormenting Angel Falls) and how Freaky prepared him to be a producer for the first time. 

This film is a spin on a holiday classic, It's a Wonderful Life. Why did you decide to use this holiday favourite as inspiration for the script?

I always wanted to do a Christmas slasher. So I instantly thought of It's a Wonderful Life because it was my dad's favourite movie. I thought it was a nice way to honour him since he passed away five years ago. That was the first movie that came to my mind, and I started running through the plot in my head, and I was like, yeah, this (a slasher) would actually make a really fun spin on it.

What I really like about this film is that you already know who the killer is right off the bat. This is different from other slasher films like Scream (1996), which always make you wonder who the killer is. What led you to this creative decision?

I wanted to subvert expectations. I also didn't want to have a kill in the first five minutes, so that's kind of a bit different too. I knew there was no way to avoid revealing who the killer was. If the basis of the movie was going to be about somebody who kills, stops a killer, and then wishes their life away. That killer is still going to be around.

I thought it was a fun and a deeper way to examine that portion of life that you never get to see in these slasher movies unless there's a sequel a year later where you get a quick up-to-speed on what that person's been up to but you never get to see the post effects of the hero taking down the villain and what that does to their mind.

How did you find a balance between horror and the uplifting feel of a holiday film in this Christmas slasher?

Christmas is also a rough time for a lot of people, so I thought there was an interesting way to discuss that through the movie. For me it was really natural cause I love horror and I absolutely love Christmas. I love Christmas horror movies.

You're also a producer in this project, which is really exciting because it allows you to also figure out casting. When did Justin Long's name come into the conversation? 

It was pretty late, honestly. We literally cast him, I think the week before we started shooting. We were in negotiations with him for a few weeks before that, but his name came up pretty late. The character kept changing, quite frankly. The original draft of the script had more of an older guy, in his fifties or sixties.

It was a role that we were just struggling to cast. So then about a month before we started to shoot, we had the whole movie filled, except that role. 

We had a conversation, and I was like, I think we need to make him a man my age. I'm 43. That was when someone from the studio was like, oh, we should get Justin Long for that.

As a producer, were you on set with the director and cast every day?

It's different in every movie, depending on what capacity you produce. But for me, yeah, I was there every day. I was involved from day one, even before there was a word written. I weighed in on casting, I weighed in on locations, and I weighed in on hiring Tyler (director). 

Tyler fosters a really collaborative set and we had a really fast shoot. Thank God it came naturally for everybody because there would be days when I'd be writing based on the location.

We had a day that we completely got rained out, so we had to take an entire day that was supposed to be outside and move it inside and figure out a way that made it work and make sense to the movie. It was crazy because I'd never produced before.

How was your experience on Freaky compared to this set, where you had a chance to be more involved in the production process?

We shot Freaky for over 35 days and I think I was there for 25 of them, but I was mostly there to learn. Normally, the writer isn't usually on set, but I wrote the movie with Chris, who directed it, so as he was prepping the movie, I said, can I come? And he goes, yeah, if you want to come, definitely come. I felt like Freaky was my film school and It’s a Wonderful Knife was my coming out party as a filmmaker.

It’s a Wonderful Knife arrives in select theatres and VOD on November 10.

Family reunions can be a real killer: A review of Daniel’s Gotta Die

Sibling rivalry just got a whole lot deadlier in the premiere of Jeremy LaLonde’s dark comedy at the Toronto After Dark Film Festival

By Sarah Grishpul

If you thought your family was horrible — get a load of Daniel’s. 

Daniel’s Gotta Die is the latest dark comedy film from Canadian director Jeremy LaLonde, which had its Toronto premiere at this year’s Toronto After Dark Film Festival. The movie follows Daniel Powell (Joel David Moore), the son of eccentric, wealthy Canadian tycoon, Edward Powell (played by famous American musician Iggy Pop), who inherits a large fortune upon his father’s death. 

This is quite unfortunate for Daniel’s three siblings, Mia (Mary Lynn Rajskub), Victor (Jason Jones) and Jessica (Carly Chaikin), who stand to gain nothing if they don’t agree to tag along with Daniel on a weekend away together at their family beach house.

While Daniel is ecstatic at the opportunity to finally forge relationships with his estranged siblings, the other Powells have something else more sinister on their minds besides family bonding. 

If you’re keen on films that play around with the dysfunctional, spoiled family trope (similar to Knives Out or Succession), this is one Canadian feature that may pique your interest. 

Daniel is very much the straight man against his three wildly unhinged siblings, reminiscent of the level-headed Michael Bluth in Arrested Development. Much of the humour comes from his clueless naivety while interacting with his self-absorbed family. 

However, whenever Daniel isn’t playing off their antics, he becomes a dull and one-noted character. His entire role in the film is to be the naive, morally good man determined to see the best in people, yet even his desire to “live on the frequency of positivity” becomes a bit tiresome.

As for his siblings, Mary Lynn Rajskub, who plays the stoic (and possibly psychotic?) Mia Powell steals the show with her performance. The character reminds me of a much older Wednesday Addams, with her morbid sense of humour and deadpan inflections. 

Together, Mia and her coke-addicted twin brother, Victor, pair up to try and kill Daniel. This duo proves to be one of the funniest dynamics onscreen, as their relationship is much like a servant and his master. Mia concocts multiple ways to murder Daniel, while Victor struggles to work up the nerve to carry them out successfully. 

I wish the film had continued to have more moments of Daniel being oblivious to the many murder attempts courtesy of his siblings. There was one funny scene in which Victor tried to poison Daniel’s wine, only for him to pour it into the dinner he was cooking for the entire family. Watching Victor toss the dish out the window and attempt to hastily replicate the meal was delightful. 

As for their social media influencer sister, Jessica, apart from constantly being on her phone, she doesn’t get much to do in the film. Sure, she wants the money just as much as her other two siblings, but rather than commit the act herself, she convinces her boyfriend to kill him instead.

Rather, Jessica spends most of her time helping Lawrence, her father’s loyal advisor played by the late Bob Saget. He spends the majority of the movie trying to steal Daniel’s money from right under his nose. 

As a fan of Full House who would religiously watch the sitcom with her sister growing up, it was great to see him onscreen in his final film role. While Lawrence does have his moments of dripping sarcasm and zingers, my only gripe is that I wished he would have had more to do, as it often felt like his actions weren’t enough to carry the plot or my interest.

Despite that, the movie does a good job of paying tribute to the late actor – dedicating the film to Saget in the credits.

There were multiple moments in the film where comedic timing and delivery was impeccable (largely due to the talented Bob Saget, Mary Lynn Rajskub, and Jason Jones), yet still many of the jokes just did not land for me. The comedy was at its strongest when the Powells were not-so-discreetly attempting to murder Daniel, and I wish it had continued to play off his utter cluelessness.

As for the production value of the Powell family beach house, I thought it was quite well executed. For a movie that takes place majorly on the grounds of a massive mansion, the isolated location succeeds in creating an atmosphere that made me feel just as trapped as Daniel and his siblings.

While the story itself doesn’t exactly break new ground or add anything new to the genre, Daniel’s Gotta Die is a charming flick that reminds us all that while blood may be thicker than water — greed is often stronger than blood.