Porcelain Stare is a short horror film directed by Robin Rippmann, starring Mia Milijko and Veronika Herren. It is about a young girl who enters the house of an old woman, where things aren’t quite what they seem. The film already has some acclaim, including the ‘Official Selection’ at several film festivals including RiverRun International Film Festival and the Crimson Screen Horror Film Fest.
The first thing to note about this Porcelain Star is that it is completely without dialogue. The entire story is told through the images on screen and by the sound effects and music. And this results in a ridiculously effective approach. It makes things creepy and mysterious, and gives the film an intriguing edge that it never losses, and that feeling of mystery is something it uses to great effect.
Not knowing what could happen keeps you drawn in because whatever is going to happen could happen at any moment. And with the current state of mainstream horror being jump scare-laden remakes and gore-filled sequels, it’s refreshing to see a short that prides itself on building an atmosphere. The sound effects and music cues work really well and are definitely what I will remember about this short.
As for things I didn’t like; the short was a little too short. It comes and goes pretty quickly and just when I was really getting intrigued, everything kind of popped off and it was over and I was left wanting more. Maybe this was the intention, but it left me feeling a little unfulfilled. Other than that, and despite some rough filmmaking choices that seem more like growing pains this is a very good little short.
In conclusion, if this was a Proof Of Concept type of short that could be used to sell a Feature, I’d be down to read that script. And as its own little short film, Porcelain Stare is a great example of how you can break the mould and still make something mysterious and exciting.
A Great Example to Break the Mould
Movie title: Porcelain Stare
Movie description: A young girl is invited for tea by an old woman. Little does she know that the woman harbours a terrible secret that will soon be uncovered.
Date published: June 15, 2018
Country: UK
Duration: 5m
Director(s): Robin Rippmann
Actor(s): Mia Miljko, Veronika Herren-Wenger
Genre: Short, Horror, Mystery
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