Dir. Cody Mobley, United States, 5 min
The dark tranquility of the desert lends itself to an eerie calm in Cody Mobley’s horror short CIMIM, where the darkness surrounding our group of campers makes one aware that danger lurks within the void. A simple trip turns deadly when a stranger invades their fireplace circle, with all hell breaking loose.
It can be difficult to talk about the story of CIMIM, given its brief runtime and succinct premise, so it would be wise to focus on the direction and the elements surrounding it. The early dialogue scenes are static shots, alternating between the campers as they discuss random topics, like pets, for example. It is only when Mallory (Laura Jenkins) goes to get edibles from one of the cars does the camera movement become more fluid. It turns to near one take (some cuts hidden by motion and blocking) as we begin to see that there is something in the darkness, the direction giving us the information as needed, be it before or after Mallory and her friends see the stranger sitting in her spot.
Overall, it is easy to see why CIMIM is in the festival circuit and gaining awards attention for short films, since the craft and care that is put into the filmmaking by Mobley shines throughout. That this is his
directorial debut says a lot about what other features will be in his future. Also have to give credit to Eric Payne for his cinematography, editing, and visual effects work on the short. It is worth a watch
whenever it becomes publicly available.
CIMIM was screened as part of Screamfest LA 2022
Splash Magazines
Be the first to comment