A dark but entertaining animated film with a unique visual style and writing. With I Am Nightmare MdotStrange has succeeded in making a feature length film that keeps the viewer's attention throughout. These days the writing in most Hollywood films is appalling: the stories are incredibly flat, all being variations on a theme with little real originality and few risks taken; equally many independent animated feature films focus purely on animation, appearance and action and as a result little attention is paid to the writing. I Am Nightmare is at times funny, at times creepy and has a real sense of mystery in it; it leaves the viewer constantly wondering what will happen next. At a time when most films have a skeletal plot and are made without heart, this film has clearly been fleshed out and filled with heart. With this film MdotStrange has gotten it right and paid due attention to all elements, including music, acting, story and animation. I hope that he will continue with filmmaking, and add a fourth feature length animated film to his catalogue.
Broader Implications of this film: I Am Nightmare is an example of "personal cinema", the entire film was animated, written and directed by one man. This movement has become possible because of the massive technological developments that have made in recent years. The computing power to make high quality animated feature length films is no longer out of reach for those with the necessary passion, and new developments and opportunities with regards self publishing and distribution will give rise to a new age of outsider cinema. The old gatekeepers are no longer as relevant as they used to be. This new movement is here and it is not going to disappear. As technology continues to develop and change the face of work as we know it, many of the jobs that we currently know are going to disappear and as a result many people are going to have to find new ways to spend their time. We are going to have more time to consume and more time to create. MdotStrange and a handful of others are pioneers that show us but a glimpse of what is to come.
