The Confined

In 1946, an abandoned building on the banks of the Hudson River became the site of a grisly execution.  Former SS officer George Gale was given sanction in the United States at the end of WWII.  Although that war is over, his was just beginning.  In 1975, George Gale and his cult of Neo-Nazi followers were executed by local authorities.  For years after, the building remained untouched.  Until now . . . 

"The goosebumps this short film elicits are real"

They are going to be the hippest and coolest condos on the East Coast!  This is Donnie’s idea and his reason for bringing Kellie and Landry out to see the abandoned building which hugs the Hudson River.  It is a spectacular place and full of a unique atmosphere and - once they get inside and see the space - also full of possibilities for people wanting a place to live.

But can this perfect location for BIG MONEY escape its tragic past?  Landry and Kellie are not so sure that it can.  The creep factor is high with this property and, when the gang starts to hear strange banging reverberating throughout the tall building, they are left shaken and, rightly so, as this survey is about to go awry in a most spectacular manner.

The horror is homegrown and the effects are practical, making this short - which delivers on the bloody history of the building - quite effective in its unsettling moments, which are then sealed by the atmospheric drone work as we - the audience - drift further and further away from this cursed place. 

Sometimes, things from the past are better left untouched.  And this building should never have had its doors reopened for any purpose whatsoever. The Confined

Directed by Christopher Picone and written by Darren Wallach, The Confined is a 5-minute short film which is already gaining critical acclaim and seeing some of its participants receiving awards for their performances.  And for good reason.  The work here by all involved is an earmark for future projects.  Keep their names in mind, Reel Reviewers.  The team assembled is quite good and they deliver a chilling tale which is worthy of inclusion in an anthology horror film or expansion into a larger tale of morbid madness. 

This brief horror film exploits a damn good location for maximum effect after easing its audience into the situation thanks to the natural performances from Thomas O’Brien as Landry, Joshua Diolosa as Donnie, and Sabrina Zara as Kellie.  Once inside, the atmosphere takes over before the chaos and the consequence of their entrance into this doomed “cavern” of murder and mayhem is heard, felt, and seen.

The goosebumps this short film elicits are real and so too is the fear as The Confined takes over and reclaims what is theirs.

4/5 stars



Art

The Confined