Neill Blomkamp departs slightly from his trademark gritty visual style and socioeconomic premises with 'Firebase', a solidly crafted short within the Vietnam war genre that effectively breeds with straight out horror, injecting an unconquerable foe into the nightmarish fold. But it still retains the director's penchant for weaving CGI effects realistically into the setting.
What it lacks in characterisation and closure it more than makes up for in disturbing imagery and creatively building up its main threat. Something evil has risen in the jungles and the grimness of war horror is not forgotten either. For a short film, the budget is quite remarkable. It's pretty much movie quality, and Neill Blomkamp does a fantastic job of stretching that budget across its 25 minute runtime. From the hauntingly realistic raw footage-like montage at the start to the tempo-driven climax, 'Firebase' has a lot to like, and its a shame there's not more to it, just when it breaks stride with some awesome moments in its final scenes.
Lets hope Neill Blomkamp continues to impress with his short films from Oats Studios until his next major movie (maybe expanding on one his recent shorts). 8/10
