Starring - Erin Cummings (Spartacus: War of the Damned), Dan John Miller (Leatherheads), and Rob Zabrecky (CSI: NY)
Release Date - 2015
Genre - Horror
Format - Streaming (Online Screener)
Rating (out of 5):
Horror Society has opened a lot of doors for me over the last two years and one of the biggest perks for writing for the site is checking out movies before they are released. I get emails and messages daily by filmmakers, actors, actresses, producers, and distributors asking me to check out their work. This is something truly amazing and an honor for any horror fan. Sadly, not all these films I am asked to review are different or unique. Most are similar to other films or follow the same story. It is rare for me to read the press release and wonder how they pulled that off on camera. Several weeks back director Luke Jaden sent me news about his short film Not Well. The film was sad to be a haunted house tale that actually follows what a house does when no one is in it. This had me thinking and I had to check it out!
The film follows a real estate agent who is trying to clean up a dilapidated house before the owner and her two kids show up. As he is cleaning the home he visits the upstairs bathroom where he is attacked by a beast and tossed in a bathtub full of muck where he drowns. Not long after that the family arrives to check out their new home unaware that the home is housing something dark and sinister. 
What can I say about shorts that I haven't already said in almost all my other short reviews? I love how shorts have the power to tell a story in a short period of time eliminating the need to bore the viewer with unnecessary dialogue and boring scenes. However, that only works if the filmmakers make good use of their time. Not Well does just that but delivers more than just story. The acting in this film is solid even though it consists of a small cast totally just 5 if you include the bathroom beast. The entire cast is only on screen a short period of time and they waste none of it establishing their characters. The story for this one is simple and almost non-existent. The film is about a haunted house and what goes on when no one is in it followed by the arrival of the new owners. This is a great story and definitely goes outside the box. The story is mostly told through beautifully shot gothic images before following it up with some seriously macabre scenes of gore. Finally, the film does not have any real on screen kills but it has some great fucking gore and amazing practical effects. The beast also looks amazing even though it is only in the film for a few seconds. Overall, Not Well is a powerful short that deserves the feature length treatment. Check it out when it becomes available!
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