Deconstructing Fear with Indie Movies that Tackle Your Toughest Anxieties

I believe that beneath the surface of the conscious levels of the mind, there exist hidden desires, fears, and memories that truly shape who we are..

- Can Aksoy, director, Psyche 

As we embrace the spirit of the season, what are some of the best ways to deal with frightening situations? Find out during Spookfest! Get ready to discover a diverse slate of movies you need to watch this weekend as some of the most captivating voices from around the world get together and share their own unique perspective on dealing with fears, whether they're crafting bone-chilling horror, heartwarming dramas or delving into the complex psyche of human emotion through documentary, animation and experimental films. 

No matter what gives you goosebumps for fear of the dark, being isolated, monsters or watching certain movies – you're not alone. In this exclusive series, get an intimate look into the mind and creative process of each director as they shed light on how they transform their own fears, thrills and uncertainties into thought-provoking narratives exploring themes such as womanhood, religion and societal pressure, identity, unconditional love, grief, regret, loss, history, networking and collaboration, motherhood child abuse, addiction, mental health, incest, prostitution, burdens, suicide, haunted houses and more. 

Ariane's Baby directed by Mahée Merica

First up we have Mahée Merica’s directorial debut, Ariane's Baby, a horror drama where a single pregnant woman named Ariane begins to question her ability and desire to become a good mother when she starts dreaming about monsters who try to harm her unborn child.  

Merica created Ariane's Baby after spending months trying to write a drama script that she was never satisfied with for her graduation film. The London Film School alum decided to have fun with her graduation project and write something she enjoyed working on; thus Ariane's Baby was born. 

“I always loved horror films, I believe they are the perfect medium to experiment narratively in terms of form and content,” says Merica who believes early horror films are precursors to experimental cinematography and surprising storytelling techniques. 

“Horror films are also experimental in terms of content. Horror filmmakers often use their films as a platform to approach important societal subjects under the disguise of entertainment, and were the first to explore important societal subjects such as systemic racism or the politics surrounding women's bodies.  

I decided I wanted to make a horror film in order to experiment with the form of the film while approaching a subject dear to my heart: gender expectations.  

Womanhood is often associated to Motherhood, and mothers are always placed under an immense amount of pressure. We expect them to be caring but not controlling, to take care of the children while preserving their individual identity, to look "respectable" while still pretty, to appear as if they never bore another being inside their body. As a woman in my mid-20s, I have ambivalent feelings towards motherhood. Being responsible for another human and missing my childfree life scare me. Yet, I long for an unconditional love that I am unsure of finding anywhere else.  

Through Ariane’s journey, I aim to explore these fears, deconstruct the mythical “maternal instinct” and investigate expressions of unconditional love,” adds Merica. Ariane's Baby is currently screening at film festivals such as Haunted House Fear Festival in New York and Fright Night Film Festival in Shelbyville while heading to Horror on Sea Film Festival in the UK. 

Breaking & Entering directed by Michael William HoganIn Michael William Hogan’s award-winning drama Breaking & Entering, a young woman’s conflicted life battling multiple addictions and questionable choices culminates with an autopsy-like introspective journey when she finds herself locked in a morgue with the body of a long-lost love. 

With three short films under his belt and years “dabbling” in screenwriting, Hogan committed to screenwriting fulltime in 2019.  

“My strategy was four-fold:  

1) clean-up existing scripts and finish new projects;  

2) seek coverage, analysis and professional feedback to further improve and polish all scripts to a commercially ready level;  

3) submit the numerous screenplays to relevant festivals and competition as a means to measure them against the massive crowd of other works;  

4) network--preferably in-person--to expand my network of industry contacts and potential collaborators.  

COVID came along in 2020 and threw a wrench into strategic initiative #3, but everything else progressed nicely,” he says. 

With his work placing well in competitions, Hogen rewrote and further published his screenplays. Although he started winnings awards, phone calls from producers, studios, managers or agents did not follow.  

“I needed another way to attract attention, so I decided to write and direct a short film that would get me noticed. I went for the shock value…a dark drama that included addiction, mental illness, incest, prostitution, necrophilia and suicide. Oh, and the burdens of each are carried by one person. The result was ‘Breaking & Entering,’ which went on to win over 30 ‘Best Short Film’ awards, more than 20 ‘Best Actress’ awards for Kiri Hartig, and nearly as many ‘Best Director’ awards,” adds Hogan. 

Follow The Harrowing directed by Brendan O'Neill for the London Sci-Fi Society 48-Hour Filmmaking Competition.In Brendan O'Neill’s Sci-Fi short The Harrowing, mysterious spaceships appear over cities worldwide and a mother desperately tries to save her children from abduction.  

In the world of independent filmmaking, there are people who talk about wanting to make films and there are people who are going out and just doing it. In September 2022, O'Neill didn't waste any time bringing The Harrowing from page to screen. “I wanted to make a short once Lockdown had ended and after a long 15 months looking after my Mom - who has Dementia - when my Dad died. The London Sci-Fi Society 48-hour filmmaking competition gave me the chance to do that,” he says. 

In addition to winning several awards for writing, acting and special effects The Harrowing has screened at numbers film events including Stokholm City Film Festival and will be heading to Aberdeen, Scotland in 2024. If you're planning on a staycation, you can also Watch the film here.

Tin Foil Flat directed by Ruari Barratt

Ruari Barratt’s micro short comedy Tin Foil Flat is about a conspiracy theorist who subjects his home to a drastic transformation, using his ingenuity, his determination and his microwave to protect him from the government.

“The thought that the main character describes having genuinely occurred to me... if you were to do the whole tin foil hat thing, wouldn't it be more practical to treat the problem closer to the source, higher than your head (the nearest ceiling)? Initially I thought of making it a one-shot sketch, with minimal tin foil applied to a carefully selected section of the room, but once I started, I had to do it properly, covering everything in my flat. I stopped short of the toilet,” says Barratt. Made with a one-man crew and over 400 square metres of tin foil, the film is available to watch on the Whatever Films YouTube channel. 

Vladimir Jaksic’s documentary Quest for Vinča is a journey of discovery to understand the roots of European culture and development during the neolithic period.  

Quest for Vinča directed by Vladimir JaksicTracking a course from England to Serbia, viewers follow author and historian, Benjamin Elliott, as he brings together fragments of the past, visiting archaeological sites and interviewing some of Britain and Serbia’s most respected academics.

Discovering the possible nucleus of human development in Europe, Quest for Vinča uncovers the foundations of our modern world as we understand it today, offering an alternative narrative to the story of human progress. “I share a passion for history and filmmaking with Benjamin Elliot, a writer and promoter. We created the entire film without a budget and it was like a fairy tale come true,” says Jaksic. Quest for Vinča is available to stream. 

In Rod Evans’ horror/thriller Modern Dating, a girl fights for survival after a blind date turns deadly.

Modern Dating directed by Rod Evans

“This was a real story told me by a friend, and upon hearing this story for the first time, I immediately knew I wanted to make this a short film. I knew it had the potential to be very scary, both as a true story and a warning to people about the dangers of going on a blind date,” says Evans.

Screening on November 5, 2023 at Hollywood Gold Awards and December 2, 2023 at Shockfest Film Festival, Modern Dating is also available to stream. 

That Feeling directed by Paul Inman

Paul Inman’s Psychological Horror That Feeling is about a woman named Caroline who, on her belated honeymoon, deals with the transgressions of her past - and, ultimately, the consequences of her choices - as she struggles with deja vu at 16,000 ft. Inman was selected to make That Feeling as a "Dollar Baby" adaptation of a Stephen King short story. In addition to screening at several events including the Marina del Rey Film Festival and Crimson Screen Horror Film Festival, That Feeling has also won awards for best directing, acting and music. 

Be Quiet short film directed by Gary DaviesIn Gary Davies’ horror short Be Quiet, a young girl is woken in the night by her brother, who believes something is in the house with them. 

In addition to winning Best Horror Short at the Black Horse International Film Festival, Be Quiet has won several awards on the festival circuit for its acting, cinematography and movie poster. 

“I love making scary films, and years ago I was at a friend's supposedly haunted house making a film, and had the idea 'What if we heard something coming down that creaky old staircase...but couldn't see it with the naked eye - only when we looked through our camera?'

The idea really spooked me, and has stuck with me ever since; that idea of not being able to see a threat without viewing some kind of medium. It's unnerving, and very effective in cinema. I'm getting spooked just writing about it!” says Davies. Be Quiet is available to stream online. 

Barkoo's Amerie, a Sci-Fi fantasy feature film written by Richie ValentinoIn Richie Valentino’s Sci-Fi Fantasy feature Barkoo's Amerie, Barkoo must find the one being who can save their planet from an invasive and destructive force, while discovering his own genetic powers within.

Valentino is no stranger to independent filmmaking and much like directors O'Neill, Hogan, Barratt, Evans and Davies, he seems to move quickly when setting an idea in motion. 

“I made a short stop-motion film a few years ago called Cardioidosaurus, quite dark and predominantly soundtrack with no dialog. And, once the film was completed, I started thinking to myself; ‘You know, some of the characters in the film would make a great base for a feature film set on a distant planet.’ So I began to write. Barkoo's Amerie is currently in Pre-Production. 

NOVA (short film) directed by David McAbeeIn David McAbee’s experimental short, NOVA, Dr. Nova Thorpe has but a few minutes before the inevitable. But before then she must warn everyone that the experiment went horribly wrong. If the premise sounds like a malpractice situation, there’s more to the story. “I'm a kid of the 80s/90s and lived in video stores. One of my all-time inspirations is, An American Werewolf in London. That transformation scene is so brutal. So, I thought about doing a transformation scene, but in a oner. So, Nova was born...” he says.

After winning dozens of 'Best Horror', 'Best Director', 'Best Acting' awards during its festival run, NOVA is now available to watch online alongside McAbee’s other films about things that go bump in the night in NIGHT TERRORS, an unwanted dinner guest in TAKING OUT THE TRASH and physical manifestations of postpartum depression in BLUE. 

Fading Petals directed by Bradley Charlton

All buried memories eventually resurface in Bradley Charlton’s drama feature, Fading Petals as two solitary figures find their paths cross when a young woman arrives to aid a sickly old woman. After a hostile first encounter and despite misgivings from both, the two slowly open up to one another and begin to form an unexpected bond, but their affinity is short lived. Events culminate as buried memories resurface and unforgiving words are spoken. The old woman then struggles to accept the absence of the young woman and is haunted by her memory. The pair meet one final time as truths emerge in a shocking revelation proving that they are much more alike than they ever thought. 

Shot in 11 days for under £10,000 with a crew of only five people, Fading Petals premiered at Ultimate Picture Palace in Oxford, UK and went on to receive praise for its acting performances and well written script. It holds a score of 80% on Rotten Tomatoes and is available to watch on Amazon, Apple TV, Tubi and other streaming platforms. 

McAbee made numerous short films in school and was “itching to make a feature length film” when he graduated. “I had written a screenplay 'The Trespassers' and was securing funding when the covid-19 pandemic hit. This put an end to any hopes of getting this 180-page ensemble film made. Therefore, during the first lockdown, I decided to write another screenplay. It had to be something that featured just one or two characters, limited locations and could be shot on a budget. The result was 'Fading Petals'. The story originated from something Lewis Carroll wrote ‘It's no use going back to yesterday, because I was a different person then.’ I wanted to explore whether our actions define us. The film explores themes of regret, loss, the pressures religion puts on women but above all, it is a study of identity,” he says. 

Housewife Alien vs Gay Zombie directed by Andreas SamuelsonIn Andreas Samuelson’s horror/comedy Housewife Alien vs Gay Zombie, a murdered housewife is resurrected by an alien creature while an unhappily married gay man is possessed by a demon and turned into a zombie. They both go on a rampage and two cops on the case must save the day. “Low budget, bad taste pioneers like John Waters and Sam Raimi but also so-bad-they're-good kind of B-movies” are the kind of things that gets Samuelson’s creative juices flowing – at least for this particular film which screened at events such as Oregon Scream Week Horror and is currently available to stream on Amazon. 

For the Horror/Drama Mors lilla Olle (Little Boy Blue), however, Samuelson’s muse stemmed from an unexpected source -- the stigmatization of gay parents and rainbow families, as well as child abuse. In Mors lilla Olle (Little Boy Blue), two dads put their young son to bed unaware that a mysterious stranger is threatening their loving family home. The son’s fear of fairy tale witches seems to become reality in this 11-minute tale that screened at Kolkata Shorts International Film Festival and Hrizantema International Fantasy & Horror Film Festival and is now available to watch on YouTube. 

Ashley Seering’s animated horror/comedy Last Bite is a must-see film: In the midst of a global pandemic, a very paranoid vampire orders contactless food delivery. One of the things I love about Seering’s movie is it’s a prime example of how stepping out of your comfort zone can yield great results, even when it seems like the world has gone insane due to heightened levels of fear and uncertainty.  

Last Bite directed by Ashley Seering

“This film was made for an assignment in my visual design class at Loyola Marymount University. It was a few months into the pandemic and we were under quarantine and couldn't film with anyone outside of the household. I lived alone, so I decided to create an animation because it didn't require other people and it was a genre I'd never explored before. It seems like a good opportunity to do something different and stretch my creativity,” says Seering, whose Last Bite screened at a number of events including the Philadelphia Unnamed Film Festival, PopCon International Film Fest, Austin Under the Stars Film Festival and Vampire Film & Arts Festival. Last Bite is available to stream. 

A young woman experiences increasingly surreal dreams that blur reality in Can Aksoy’s experimental short, Psyche. Her dreams act as symbolic journeys of inner reflection, culminating in a climactic confrontation that challenges her to face buried emotions. By grappling with the dreamscapes, she begins a process of self-discovery. Deeply inspired by the psychoanalytical theories and concepts of Sigmund Freud, Aksoy made this movie to visualize and represent the unconscious mind in his own unique way. 

Psyche directed by Can Aksoy

“Freud's theories of the unconscious mind and repression have always fascinated me, as I often find myself experiencing the sensation of being more than just one character. I believe that beneath the surface of the conscious levels of the mind, there exist hidden desires, fears, and memories that truly shape who we are... I have been profoundly influenced by my dreams, identity, fears, desires, and earliest childhood memories, which serve as a constant source of inspiration. Exploring the depths of the human psyche and the human mind and delving into the complexities of the mind has been a driving force behind the creation of my film ‘Psyche,’ says Aksoy. 

Having recently screened at Oxford International Short Film Festival and Open Shorts Night at Raindance Film Festival, Psyche is currently nominated for an award to be announced in November. 

Stay tuned to learn from these directors as they flex their super powers, discuss terrifying tales, strange experiences and more as this series continues! 

How 'Slapped Straight' Directors Brought Growing Combat Sport to the Big Screen

48 Hour Film Project winners David Anderson and Raynel Almonte are making history in Buffalo, New York, with their new comedy Slapped Straight – the first ever film about slap fighting, a sport said to be popular in Russia and Serbia that’s been gaining momentum in the U.S. through UFC CEO Dana White and SlapFight Championship founder JT Tilley. 

Prior to merging their companies into Luminary Figures Group, Anderson and Almonte have made a name for themselves in the Buffalo area with several short films of their own including the award-winning mystery Degraded, the family film Holy Night and award-winning drama Take Me. 

Web series thriller 'Unusual Attraction' by Luminary Figures Group. Starring Amanda Barsi, Austin Gallego, Grace Harvey, Sean Mansfield, Shanda Gardner Fry, Hugh Davis and more.Slapped Straight -- about a rideshare driver and a slap fighter whose lives intertwine after mistakenly grabbing the wrong gym bag -- was actually developed while Anderson and Almonte were on set filming their web series thriller, Unusual Attraction. Once the idea sparked, the filmmaking duo wrote the screenplay for Slapped Straight in three months.

"My partner Raynel wanted to create a movie that has not been made yet. We were looking for a niche and slap fighting was one of them. There was no movie made on the upcoming sport. So we decided to go at it!" says Anderson, who shares the Writing, Directing, Editing and Producing hat on Slapped Straight.

The film follows rideshare driver Garry Nichols who lives day by day resenting his life choices, which is as plain as anyone else's until he meets the one person that will change his life for the better. After boosting Garry's confidence and showing him how to live, HotHands introduces Garry to the world of Slap Fighting, where hothands prepares to go up against the Smack Fight Champion.

Comedy 'Slapped Straight by Luminary Figures Group. Starring Garry Jerome Knight, Mark Williams, Kyle Seyer, Sonia Angeli, Jahga Banks and Jewels Genesis.

Anderson describes production as 37 fun and amazing days filled with many memorable moments when he and Almonte were on set, especially the "scenes with El Guapo." For Anderson, one of those moments were when actor Garry J. Knight would go missing, and "we needed him for a scene, so the group chat would always say 'Where's Garry!?'."

When the crew ran out of light and needed to film the inside during day, that didn't stop the production. "We were tight on the schedule so we didn't want to miss a shoot day. But we figured out to just take a bunch of lights and put them behind the window and made it look like day time."

"We couldn't of picked a better cast," he says while adding that the post production was also fun to do. Over the course of seven months, Anderson and Almonte put together different scenes separately, then came together to get a picture lock. "What took a lot of time, was that the entire movie is ADR. So we had to recreate the foley and add in all the atmospheric sounds. Tiresome, but worth it," says Anderson.

 Rather than having one composer for the film's soundtrack, Anderson and Almonte crowdsourced original music from various artists for Slapped Straight. "We wanted to help artists in Buffalo, NY by putting a variety of different artists music in our film. Buffalo has a good group of music artists that I believe are underrated. So we wanted to put them on the map and push their work as much as we push Slapped Straight. The music makes the movie more unique and original which brings another element to the table, and each song that we used, matched the tone and vibe of the scene, or at least moment within a scene," says Anderson.

Almonte, who was a multi-passionate artist himself, already had his finger on the pulse of the local music scene long before making this film. "I was in between choosing what I wanted to do with my life. I was a rapper, I made graphic designs; made T-shirts. I had a bunch of things I wanted to do. I had a mentor that told me to chose one thing, so I decided to choose filmmaking. I've wanted to move into that field, because it embodied everything that I already loved to do. Music, design, etc. That's when I knew filmmaking was for me," he says.

As someone who participated in multiple 48 Hour Film Projects, Anderson is a great collaborator whose filmmaking journey is a huge complement to Almonte's multidisciplinary experience. "I've always loved story telling. To this day I would zone out and imagine different scenes in my head, that will cause me to have an emotional response. I've always enjoyed the feeling that would come from that. What made me chose filmmaking over just writing books, or short stories, is that I can really bring to life the images that are in my head, and evoke emotion into others. So I purchased my first camera, Lumix GH4, found the Buffalo Film Community, then started making short films," adds the prolific director.

Comedy 'Slapped Straight' movie poster. Produced, Written, Directed, Filmed and Edited by David O Anderson with production assistance from Al Warren.The poster design for Slapped Straight is very creative, bucking many movie poster trends in favor of a one-sheet that looks like hand drawn artwork. So I was curious about the directors' process in choosing the design and who made it.

"We wanted to create a poster that tells the story when looking at it. We also wanted to the cover to be colorful as the film itself is very colorful and vibrant," shares Anderson. 

The comedy feature premiered at the Capitol Theatre earlier this Spring in Niagara Falls, NY. It has since been embraced by the slap fighting sport and its founder, JT Tilley, which the Co-Directors find to be nothing short of amazing.

"The fact that JT was interested in our movie and decided to help push it, really felt like we reached a goal, or an achievement. The film was well received by the community and we are really appreciative for the support we have gotten," says Anderson. 

This support even took the Co-Directors all the way to Texas, which Almonte describes as a very good experience. "With it being Dave's first time on a plane, and going to Texas, it made it all the more special. When we got there, we ended up going to check out the location the Slap Fight event was taking place, and that's when JT spotted us. He welcomed us to the place and showed us around. Then the next day was the slap fight event. It was amazing to say the least. And of course you know we had to get some Texas barbecue," he says. 

Being surrounded by men slapping each other for sport, the directors would surely have some perspective on the slap incident that happened between comedian/host Chris Rock and actor Will Smith at the 94th annual Oscars, right? It surprised Anderson. "There was obviously entertainment in that incident, but personally it was a let down to see someone you looked up to in some way, embarrass another one you looked up to in some way. I feel bad for Chris Rock, and in some way I also feel bad for Will. He was an icon and that one moment, he fell and that destroyed his image," says Anderson. 

From lighting challenges on set and missing actors to traveling by air for the first time and entering the world of competitive slapping, Anderson and Almonte are proud to be independent filmmakers. "We enjoy being able to tell our own original stories, and watching people enjoy them," says the Co-Directors who aim to "connect with people and evoke emotions. To be able to create a quality film in its story, image, and sound. Ultimately, to be a big production house and be able to be a full time filmmaker." 

'Slapped Straight' Producers, Writers, Directors, Cinematographers and Editors David O AndersonThe directors are already on their way to reaching their goal of being a big production house after merging their own separate companies, ComposedIMAGE and FrameArt Pictures, into Luminary Figures Group in their aim to create a unique, official name for both of them.

They drew names from a hat, but didn't like them. Soon Anderson came up with the name Luminary Figures Group and Almonte liked it. 

Anderson and Almonte are certain it is possible to make a living as a filmmaker but you need the proper equipment. "Why would someone choose my production company, when they can choose someone else who can create any vision because they have the necessary equipment to do so. It is very possible, but the equipment matters," adds Anderson. 

They're currently looking to upgrade their equipment so Luminary Figures Group can take on commercial jobs and weddings. "Our lowest list of equipment is about $30,000. That will kick us in to gear to start taking on projects for other people. In the field of filmmaking, we feel our stories are our strong point, but we can work to make our dialogue a little better. Also, script supervising; or a larger crew in general as it is just us, sometimes 1 other person to assist on set," says the duo. 

In the meantime, they are screening Slapped Straight at film festivals and working to get the film wider distribution. "We really enjoy creating original and unique movies for people to watch and we hope that we can get the recognition we do deserve, and one day be as big as A24, Paramount Pictures, Disney etc. We jut need the opportunity to prove ourselves, and show that we can create real unique movies," adds Anderson and Almonte. 

The comedy Slapped Straight is available to rent for 48 hours here. 

Who would you pay to see in a slap fighting competition? 

What do you think about the Slapped Straight movie poster? 

Aliens Rain Fire, Romance and Beach Vibes in Sci-Fi Comedy 'Higher Grounds'

If you want a good laugh and enjoy Sci-Fi comedy films with a retro twist, Higher Grounds has arrived just in time for summer! It’s a 16-minute extraterrestrial adventure about Ralff, one slacker alien who comes to destroy earth with his fellow “field drone,” Razzorakk.

Soon they find themselves sidetracked by gastrointestinal issues, a supply shortage and a mob of people who think they are generous visitors here to save the planet from rising temperatures. The biggest distraction of all, however, is Ralff’s quest to hook up with the hot café barista, Cleo. Suddenly, our survival depends on whether this space-schmuck can get her number, before his plucky partner blows us sky high.  

Written by Joe Kramer (who also directed this film) and Christian Sarkis Graham, Higher Grounds is set in Philadelphia on a typical Saturday for working Americans. That is, most working Americans except Julie, another café barista who takes advantage of a parking situation that leaves Cleo stuck at the café on her only day off – putting a dent in her plans to get a nice tan at the beach.  

It doesn't take long for Ralff to believe he's a “Gracious God” based on little more than speculative propaganda distributed by local news reporters, TV broadcasts and a growing crowd of neighbors who put him on a pedestal. Ralff takes things a step further by deciding it was destined for him to come to earth at this particular time, and be at this particular location. 

It’s nuts how misinformation and propaganda spreads like a viral disease when people refuse to do their own due diligence to understand what's happening around them, why it's happening, and what they can do about it. This leads to group thinking, which can often take a destructive turn when people believe things just because they heard it on the news or because it's the norm in their culture or locale.  

As the plot in Higher Grounds illustrates, this is hard to do when your Mayor, NASA and other leaders share false narratives while the local media gives them a platform to do so, thus perpetuating the nonsense. It's alarming to not be able to trust many, if not all, of the sources of information we have come to rely on for news, exploratory findings and leadership. 

The good news is the first act sets you up for a funny ride through a warm and sunny Saturday afternoon that is, like Cleo, easy on the eyes. Kudos to director Joe Kramer and cinematographer Daniel Brennan on the great shots. It's really a treat to see a film that delivers all sorts of angles that make the story even more visually pleasing. 

Speaking of storylines, there seems to be two that intersect throughout Higher Grounds in a surprisingly organic way. That is, if running into aliens on a mission to destroy the planet is business as usual for you. Much like the annoying traffic and parking headaches that motorists and SEPTA bus riders often experience in center city, South Philly is notorious for its parking issues. So, those who live in or nearby Philadelphia can relate to the parking headaches that sometimes turn into a life altering ordeal. 

Sprinkled with funny lines that have great timing, Higher Grounds, also has some likeable characters to root for and others that remind you of people you’ve met that make your life hell. You know, that co-worker who calls out at the last minute or doesn’t do their job so you end up taking on their responsibilities. Some quips in the film, like the Elroy Jetson reference, might fly over your head depending on how in tune you are with pop culture and your age. 

I appreciate the hustle of the café owner, Gus, who believes its fate that aliens have come to earth to keep the lights on. Gus’s humorous attempt to save his small business by advertising the café during a viral scene in the film shows how he’s willing to act quickly and take advantage of good opportunities that may be available -- even in a crisis. 

Cleo’s desperate attempt at a staycation using what she has available in the workplace is hilarious. There seems to be a longing and desperation that permeates through the mindset and behaviors of some of the characters in this film. Desperate to be liked. Desperate to escape from work or debt. Desperate for answers and acts of God. Cleo just wants to go to the beach. Ralff just wants to get her number. Razzorakk just wants to find a bathroom and Gus just wants someone to work the Cuisinart so he can capitalize on all this foot traffic from the alien visitors. The people in the community, at least on the surface it seems, just want cooler temperatures and fresh air. Then, there’s the litter that tells a different story. 

If you’ve been a longtime reader of this blog, you already know that littering is one of my pet peeves. As someone who participated in Blog Action Day and supports several causes addressing issues such as pollution, access to clean water and disaster relief, I was aggravated by the way some characters in Higher Grounds were single-handedly and collectively destroying the quality of life in their own environment while looking for an external solution at the same time. They're so fixated on a foreign invasion of "Gracious Gods" that they aren't looking at what they can do themselves to save the planet from extinction. 

You might also recognize actor John O’Hurley, best known for his role on the TV sitcom, Seinfeld, as the alien commander who sends Ralff and Razzorakk on a mission to actually “roast the planet” in Higher Grounds. As these alien foot soldiers prepare to “rain fire on all of these women and children,” I was bothered by the way that killing only seemed morally wrong when women and children are involved.  

There's a brutal grocery store scene that highlights the differences in Ralff’s moral compass when it comes to him questioning his job duties, which led to me liking him less. I mean, there are men on planet earth too and they shouldn't die just because the half naked female human you're chasing is "easy on the eyes." 

Higher Grounds is a quick, slice of life weekend adventure that had me rooting for the aliens in some scenes. Well, except of course for that grocery store scene. That one made me mad at Ralff along with the times when he’s so wrapped up in his own world that he’s oblivious to the needs of other people and that of what’s really going on around him. 

I loved the song "Last Train to San Fernando" in this film, along with Higher Grounds' composer Randy Sutin's musical score in general. The "Last Train to San Fernando" tune lends itself to the timely message that I took away from watching it, which is that you must make the most of the time you have on this earth because it will be over -- whether by natural, extraterrestrial or man made disasters -- before you know it!

The film also gives you some of the explosive and stylized elements that you would anticipate in a summer blockbuster, with local charm. In the midst of the frenzy surrounding the arrival of visitors from outer space, Higher Grounds is full of underlying tones reflecting global and societal issues. In 2022, the film was nominated for an Audience Award at the Raindance Film Festival satellite event, the Japan Indies Film Festival. It also screened in the Coney Island Film Festival in early May. 

If you're local in the Tri-State area, or up for a day trip to New Jersey -- a popular destination for tons of people who enjoy their summer at the shores in this coastal area; just sayin.... -- Higher Grounds is showing this weekend on Sunday, June 11th at the LBI Historical Association Museum during the Lighthouse International Film Festival. 

You can also stream the film here from the comfort of your home, at the office during your lunch hour or while stuck on a side street sitting behind a double-parked car. This short film made my day and just might do the same for you! 

Do you believe in destiny or fate?

When was the last time you went to the beach?

What do you think is the biggest issue plaguing our planet?