Franklin: A Symphony of Pain

Director - Jeremy Westrate (Magnum Opus)
Starring - Nikolas Franklin (Spare Change), Greg G. Freeman (Dangerous People), and Slake Counts (Joe Vampire)
Release Date - 2014
Genre - Thriller
Tagline - "A mind is a beautiful thing to waste"
Format - Streaming (Online Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

     People love to bitch and and no one likes to bitch more than horror fans.  They search out any and everything they can and bitch and moan online and in public forums because they have nothing better to do.  They mostly shit talk remakes and sequels because they lack the thought processes to look outside the picture and see that these are just continuations of films we already love.  However, while they are bitching they are letting original films slip through the cracks.  Recently, writer, director, and producer Sean Donohue reached out to me to check out a film he wrote and produced.  The film, Franklin: A Symphony of Pain, was one that I had never heard of before.  I was curious and he was nice enough to send me a review copy of the film. Sadly, wok has got the best of me and it took me a little longer than usual to get the review up.  Thanks for letting me check it out Sean and I apologize it took so long for me get it up for you!
     The film follows an unlucky individual named Franklin (Nikolas Franklin) as he ventures out to explore nature for a bit.  However, his little stroll does not go according to plan.  He is abducted by a group of mask wearing psychos that torture and rape him for several days.  They finally let him go but his torment is far from over.  He comes across another group of psychos that kick the shit out of him before he is able run away.  He then comes across a twisted priest and is forced to relive those painful moments before learning who he really is.
     Films don't really need an elaborate story to entertain the viewer.  The film itself needs the power to entertain the viewer as long as the story is easily visible.  Franklin: A Symphony of Pain gave the viewer a very simple story but went about it in a unconventional manner.  The acting in this one is great but it goes unnoticed due to the way the film is shot.  The entire cast was phenomenal.  The masked characters never break their character and that adds a lot the atmosphere of the film.  Nikolas Franklin is a great lead and the viewer really starts to feel for him after he continuously is shit on.  The story for this one is simple. effective, and trippy as fuck.  We have a story that follows a young man and his shitty luck as we watch him get the shit kicked out of him numerous times.  This reminded me a lot of the adventure comedy Frankie in Blunderland but the film did not go the Troma-esque route like FiB did.  Instead, it takes a more macabre route and really inflicts pain on the poor boy.  Also, the story does not unfold like a typical film.  Instead, we are given beautiful cinematography detailing a small portion of the story at a time before it is split up with psychedelic imagery that puts the viewer in the middle of an acid trip in hell.  I loved the story and how it was delivered.  Finally, the film does have several on screen kills that are gruesome and bloody with solid practical effects to pull them off.  Overall, Franklin: A Symphony of Pain is pure madness on film.  The film is unnerving and disgusting at times.  Check it out!