Heir

I have a bone to pick with some portion of the horror community. There are many fans out there who do not appreciate movies without obvious monsters or killers. Heir is an exact example of quality movies which are missed by this mentality. This movie made me uncomfortable to a level unrivaled. Freddy, Jason, and Chucky combined never made me feel so uneasy.

Heir is the tale of a father, played by Familiar's fantastic Robert Nolan, who takes his son on a trip to visit a, "friend." Right from the start this movie is disturbing, with a father clearly pining over his son's pictures far too much. Much like the 2012 Fatal Pictures' short film Familiar, this film is far darker than your normal horror fare. This is a film grounded in the dark side of human interaction, which as mentioned before, is portrayed in an inhuman way. Nolan's character like in Familiar, is haunting. This time arguably more so. Instead of focusing on a drive to abandon his family, he is attempting to indulge in his son with the strange man played by acting regular, Bill Oberst Jr.

Familiar excelled on the performances of Nolan, and in this film he acts just as well. Oberst Jr. manages only to outshine him due to sheer sinister intentions. The two grown men do well together though, and Nolan's apprehension serves to highlight Oberst Jr.'s predatory character. The interaction between the nervous man and devious man make this film.

Much like 2012's Familiar, which has fear grounded in the psychology of man, these monstrous actions eventually evolve into something physically sinister. When the darkest portions of the film finally take place, it becomes clear that the darkest acts of men can quite literally turn them into monsters.

The effects are disgusting and particularly well done. Practical effects when done well are significantly more effective than any CGI and I believe this is a prime example. The sticky substances secreted by the adult characters hands are absolutely vile and arguably familiar. Twitching muscles, color changing skin, and disgusting secretions accompanied by Oberst Jr.'s looks of pleasure are more than cringe worthy. Nolan's nervous nature, yet unwillingness to act shadow a sad reality.

I would argue that there is no overwhelming gore in 2015's Heir, but plenty of disturbing imagery and subject matter. Some may appreciate the relevance to real world issues, and others may choose to take a blind eye towards it. Again, the team at Fatal Pictures take a real world set of problems and emotions, and turns them into physical monstrosities. The movie is acted well, produced fantastically, and offers a far more haunting story than most horror films.

My only real criticism may be a credit to the story. In my previously reviewed Familiar, I felt that the story concluded well and delivered a strong message. With the ending of this film I was left wanting a bit more closure. Had this movie not performed well on so many levels though, I could have lived with the ending without mentioning it.

To conclude, I would say that Fatal Pictures is a rarity in film. It is hard to convey a deep message in a short film, and it is harder to do so in a horror setting. In an indie genre over saturated with short slashers and monster movies, it is refreshing to see a unique take on psychological horror. Keep an eye out for this team in the future, with the right resources I would bet that they could make something special of full length. Preferably with Robert Nolan leading.