(Film Review)

‘Narrow,’ a short horror film, directed by Anna Chezel, was shot as part of the festival ‘Short of the Week.’

The film tells the story of a post-apocalyptic world where you only have to walk narrow paths to survive. Throughout the film, the main character walks past an abandoned ranch, but she is distracted by people off the road who were calling to themselves. The main storyline is how the heroine tries to find some food and does not stray from the path. The film is only ten minutes long, so we are not given answers to questions such as: why the apocalypse began, why you can only walk the path, where did the path come from, who specifically threatens humanity. This film can be seen as an allusion to everyday life, where there are no threats only if you follow the beaten path. Such white spots in the plot can also be explained by a limited-budget film. Despite the fact that the film does not answer the questions, it still holds us for to the last possible second and remains in the genre. Shooting is not static; the frame is not stable when the heroine is moving, but documentary: the viewer seems to be walking around the whole movie. And in less dynamic scenes, the camera goes in one position. This technique conveys the mood of each scene. For example, in a confined space (scenes in the house), where the heroine almost freezes in horror on the trail, the camera hardly moves, which adds a deceptive sense of security and tranquility.

Furthermore, visual effects such as the color scheme of the familiar world and the world on the trail almost directly show the mood around. The world behind the path is darker, devoid of bright colors, which transmits its essence to the viewer — it is dangerous.

Editing is dynamic, there are long shots. No zoom out or in — the camera only moves sideways, so each frame contains several actions. All techniques are quite effective because they add a sense of tension and the inevitability of something terrible. Also good work with sound — in some shots it is absent or very quiet, which is not a disadvantage, but only adds to the atmosphere.

I guess, the film has excellent cinematography, composition, and an appropriate selection of sound and location. A little more explanation of the main lore of the world is missing, but this information is enough for a short meter.

My rating is 10/10.