Adam (2019)
Director: Gemma Paul
Writer: Gemma Paul
Starring: Warren Hicks, Tim Faraday, Nina Wells
Adam, a re-animated being with a tortured soul seeks out his creator when the pursuit of his mate ends disastrously.
Having previously delivered a dark visual feast retelling of Alice in Wonderland, with her directorial debut Underland (2018); writer-director Gemma Paul looks to deliver her own interpretation of another classic novel Frankenstein, with the new short film Adam. A beautifully shot gothic style horror, which incorporates elements of the original story, but with a unique twist.
One of the most impressive compositions of the film is the way in which the characters are portrayed differently to how they would normally expect. Warren Hicks who plays the re-animated corpse Adam is very different to the usual definition of the monster; or at least physically. Despite some facial scarring which is used to identify him as the monster, he is very different to the burly blundering figure you would normally expect. With a slimmer athletic in build and a physical look generally more associated with the doctor, the aspects of the monster are now more apparent in his personality, where he has a dark sinister eccentricity with an angry obsessive nature.
The doctor himself, played by Tim Faraday is more instantly recognisable as a character you would expect to play the monster, his burly stature reflecting the physical appearance that we would normally expect. Personality, however, Tim plays the role of the doctor with a more reserved and cautious persona than you would expect when you consider his work, adding a sense of empathy to the character which Adam now seems to lack. When it comes to doing the experiment again, it is Adam who is the one driven to take things further, even if it is for his own means. Â Â Â
The visual look of the film utilises the black and white style to brilliantly create the dark gothic tone to the film, which is reminiscent of the Universal horror films and classic Hammer Horror. From the beautiful landscape shots of the castle, to the more angled scenic within the graveyard, which work especially well to create the eerie atmosphere by utilising the location.
In addition to incorporating the visual styles within the film, Gemma continues to acknowledge the classic horror tropes which also you would expect; such as the victim’s unfortunate fall whilst trying to escape her attacker. My favorite moment however occurs during a ‘You can run, but you can’t hide’ moment in the graveyard. Recreating a brilliant horror moment, which uses the tension and gradual build-up of the moment, appose to a more modern jump scare tactics. Today the scene may have more of a comical tone, but in the execution, it perfectly emulates the originating horror style it is looking to acknowledge.
Like Gemma’s previous film Underland, the music plays a pivotal role and is used flawlessly throughout the film. Sam Garbett delivers a powerful score which has a familiarity that is carried throughout and continues to build on both the tensions and emphasising the emotions in the scene. The orchestral sounds are impressive throughout the film, although the simplicity of the heartbeat which is used towards the end of the film is one of the moments that stay with you.
The running time of the film is under 7 minutes, but still manages to give you a sense of the characters in the short running time and despite an open ending feels like a completed story. However, if I had any issues it would be with the sequence in which the events unfold which seem somewhat disjointed. Following a powerful opening segment, the film diverts back in time for a brief scene picking up with events that occurred moments earlier. Following this the story once again continues back to the original opening scene and continues to play out in order. I can understand why they would have chosen the opening sequence to the film as it shows both a explains the pain and vulnerability of the character. The sequence of event initially seems at odds with flow of the film, especially with it being a short, although it doesn’t the overall enjoyment of the film.
Adam is a brilliantly entertaining short from writer-director Gemma Paul, who continues to showcase herself as an upcoming director to watch out for, thanks to her stunning visual style and creative storytelling. The film perfectly encapsulates a gothic horror feel and is beautifully shot. Where there are some familiarity with the style, the changes which she has introduced to move away from the more formulated tradition characters manages to create a different impression on the story. The film leaves the view with an open ending which stays with you after the credit’s role and with so much left to explore leaves you on a high wanting more.
Short Film Review Adam
Movie title: Adam
Movie description: Adam, a re-animated being with a tortured soul seeks out his creator when the pursuit of his mate ends disastrously.
Date published: May 10, 2019
Director(s): Gemma Paul
Actor(s): Gemma Paul
Genre: Horror
Published in various websites, Philip is a reviewer who is best known for his interviews and media coverage of independent projects including; films, books, theatre and live events. Always on the lookout for something different to cover!
