Berman Featured, Reviews Film Threat
Steve Manford’s Berman is a horror film that incorporates interesting concepts into the slasher genre. The slasher genre is famous for its many icons, such as Michael Myers and Freddy Krueger. The story follows Rita (Rita Faria) as she and her friends go to a goth nightclub where she discovers a movie about a mysterious killer, “Berman”. At the nightclub, Rita notices the place is off-kilter and disturbing. A weird humming noise is heard as she peruses the club. She sees a horned masked man repeatedly popping up on-screen projections on the wall. Rita encounters a mentally ill man with a wound on his forehead. Two partygoers walk by, and one of them asks her what she thinks of the strange man. She is puzzled, and the male partygoer suspects Berman might have tortured him. As Rita keeps exploring, the buzzing of a screwdriver is heard. She is horrified as she sees a victim wearing roller skates, being tortured by a mysterious hooded figure with a screwdriver. A bird-bug faced goon with medical gloves notices her, and Rita bolts away.
Her friend asked if she was okay. She deleted it first and then told him she was leaving. Now at home, she turns on the TV and sees “Berman” on the screen, ready to slash her. Suddenly, the gloved insect bird hid behind her as she cautiously checked her window. No room in his house is safe. The victim wearing roller skates is currently at home, his eyes are bulging and his face is distorted. Her room is unacceptable because another hooded man is ready to distort her handsome face. Will she defend herself? This loosely plotted film has quirky ideas and an eerie atmosphere. The cinematography is moody, with deep shadows like a David Fincher film. The use of masks to convey disfigured faces is a strong creative choice. The faces of the hooded slashers and the victim have a distorted Tim Burton look with bug-like eyes and long noses. Unfortunately, our antagonists lack the intrigue of other horror villains. Rita is far from the resilient protagonist typically seen in slasher films. One standout is Rita Faria’s performance. Her facial expressions carry the emotional weight, as there is limited dialogue. Manford is smart to give Faria many close-ups, to distract from the lack of character development. Despite its flaws, this horror short is worth a look to take in the weird atmosphere and will not gross-out horror newcomers.