Table of Contents Show
From October 13th to October 20th, 2022, The Daily Fandom will be remotely attending the Brooklyn Horror Film Festival 2022 (#BHFF22). As attendees of previous BHFF festivals including NIGHTSTREAM, it has been our pleasure to attend BHFF in some capacity over the past few years and this year included. This is our first year participating in Presented by Shudder Brooklyn Horror Film Fest remotely, and we’re looking forward to seeing some incredible horror and thriller films and shorts. At this year’s BHFF, there were a number of outstanding horror films presented, including two of our favorites: Influencer as well as Old Flame.
Influencer (92 mins, Kurtis David Harder)
The thriller film Influencer (2022, Kurtis David Harder) tackles the hyperpostmodern problem of social media and the concept of the “influencer.” Nowadays, Tik Tok and influencers are the norm, so Influencer makes excellent use of this concept by adding a thrilling element to it. Although it may appear — on social media — that Madison is having a good time in Thailand, the trip is quite uneventful and disappointing. The trip takes a turn when she meets another traveler, CW, who appears to be an influencer-type, and seems to get along just fine by herself.
After showing Madison some of Thailand’s hidden gems that only the elite would know, she surprises Madison with a deserted island. The film raises the question as to whether we are the stars of our own stories or if no one is truly the star. There is an exploration of what it means to be an influencer, what it means to be who we are, and what it means to desire to be someone else — even for a short time, which the internet can make us desire more than we realize as there is often a thrill associated with being liked.
The Thrill Of Influencer (2022)
As the feature of BHFF 2022, Influencer is beautifully filmed and directed; it has an “influencer” feel that employs the camera as both a horror device and a gaze at the same time. In addition to Cassandra Naud, Emily Tennant, Rory J. Saper, Sara Canning, cinematographer David Schuurman, composer Avery Kentis, and producer Tesh Guttikonda, each member of the cast does an outstanding job.
Despite what she tells her loyal followers on IG, social media influencer Madison is having a lonely and disappointingly uneventful visit in Thailand. Her experience does a miraculous 180 when she meets CW, another traveler who seems to thrive on her own. After showing Madison all the amazing sights, CW saves the best surprise for last—a deserted island completely off the grid. Kurtis David Harder (BHFF 2019 selection SPIRAL) directs this sneakily twisted thriller that begs the question, are we the stars of our own stories or is no one?
Joseph Hernandez
Old Flame (91 mins, Christopher Denham)
Old Flame (2022) is quite enjoyable since it uses only three locations and requires very little staging; the act structure is an intriguing element to this slow build of a horror film because it connects itself to each of those distinct mise-en-scene elements. The majority of the film is driven by its lead actors, making it deeply intimate and absorbing — there is a lot of focus on their dialogue, which is largely responsible for its chilling and insane conclusion, as we spend a considerable amount of time understanding their banter and becoming accustomed to their previous attachment.
As the film progresses, Old Flame‘s dialogue becomes increasingly intense due to the close-up shots that become increasingly compelling. Using intimate shots along with a more engaging and thrilling tone, the film creates a moment that bursts at the end as the two main protagonists’ relationship becomes more complex as a revelation is revealed. The film’s surface portrays a lingering sense of something amiss, created by the camera, that increases throughout their conversations. There is a refreshing and thrilling quality to the directing because of the mise-en-scene. The structure of the film is the most compelling aspect of it.
A horrible secret from the past can no longer be contained when two ex-lovers meet up at a college reunion. Tension mounts and slowly builds over a series of conversations told in a theatrical three act structure before boiling over into violence. Accomplished actor Christopher Denham (SHUTTER ISLAND, ARGO), directing for the first time since 2014’s PRESERVATION, puts truth, memory and perspective dangerously into question in a compelling and challenging two character thriller.
Joseph Hernandez
#BHFF2022: The Frightful October Film Festival Of The Ages!
The month of October is invariably a fabulous time for horror film enthusiasts who love and enjoy every aspect of horror. It can be incredibly energizing to live out our most deep-seated fears through cinema, and The Daily Fandom was extremely fortunate to be invited to the Brooklyn Horror Film Festival 2022 this year.
BHFF premiered and will premiere many new films, including V/H/S/99, Swallowed, Summoners, Sinphony, Run Sweetheart Run, Next Exit, NightMare, Mother Superior, Mother, May I?, Give Me an A, Fat Girl, Criminal Lovers, and so many others.
It has been refreshing to see a glimpse of the upcoming sphere of horror filmmaking; it is refreshing to see that the concepts and minds behind horror films have maintained a reviving realism that is both restorative and fearful. There is no doubt that social media continues to be a topic of haunts as well as one of our own.