[Short Film Review] WE ALL SCREAM

WE ALL SCREAM is a seven-minute short, which comes from directors Travis Cluff and Chris Lofing (The Gallows & The Gallows II), and was written by Jener Dasilva.

The story follows a little boy (the adorable Joseph JoJo Martinez) as he finds out that his home is all out of ice cream. Upset, he looks for something to satisfy his sweet tooth as his mother plays with her phone, neglecting him. While looking around, an old VHS TV begins to play what looks like it might be a commercial for an ice cream man. The images are strange, almost grotesque, while the eerie truck music plays in the background.

Nervously, the boy shuts off the bizarre commercial, but the music still plays, muffled by distance and looming in the background. Following the music, he spots the mysterious ice cream truck, now fully realized outside of his house.

However, he soon realizes that this ice cream comes at a price…a price paid in blood.

I have to admit that WE ALL SCREAM is terrific and the only complaint I have was that it was so short. The visuals and camera angles were engaging and interesting. They really pulled you into the story and atmosphere. So, props to DP Kyle Gentz, and I hope to see more of his work. Jojo Martinez was adorable and, while he had some stiffness of being a child actor (especially at the end), his performance was charming and authentic. He was not some bratty child and dealt well with the stretches of silence in the film.

The music was eerie and a bit trope-y but in a good kind of way. It was familiar enough (scary ice cream truck), but still had body to it, being catchy and atmospheric (thank you, Richard Breakspear). The real fun was in the effects, being fun and visually engaging (blood ice cream, yes please!).

All in all, WE ALL SCREAM only makes me hunger for more. It’s a stylized slice of nostalgia and beautifully polished. So, when do we get our second helping?

J.M. Brannyk
Movie Reviews

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