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Lonely Horror Club Review

By Lonely Horror Club

November 2, 2022

The Tell Tale Heart (2020) – 4/5⁠

I had the chance to watch and review this short film while it’s still in its festival run. No surprise to anyone, I was a bit of an Edgar Allan Poe nerd in my teen years. I’ve seen multiple adaptations of The Tell Tale Heart but this most recent short film brings a fresh and bloody new lens to the classic. ⁠
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The first thing that stood out to me on this rendition was how crisp and calculated the cinematography is. I’ve seen my fair share of short films, student made and otherwise. It’s clear the production quality of TTTH is high from just an initial viewing. Another unique element of this rendition is its blend of dark comedy and modern elements into a story that is traditionally set in the 1800s. ⁠
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The two standout pieces of TTTH are the impressive, yet tasteful, gore and the depiction of madness. I made the mistake of eating while watching this and found myself gagging in the third act. The descriptions of gore aren’t as direct in the original short story, and are more implied than anything else, so bringing this element to the forefront really reinforced Poe’s horror legacy. The Narrator’s descent into madness includes both subtle and direct imagery that builds to the suspense and world of the story. ⁠
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I didn’t know what to expect from this short film, but I definitely found myself impressed by this. My only critique was that the acting did feel a bit stiff and forced at times, but not enough to take me out of the story, especially for the short film format. This team definitely has the makings of a great feature length debut, hopefully sometime soon. Thank you to the team at @telltalemovie for giving me this sneak peek! ⁠
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[Reminder: Though I may be asked to review projects, all thoughts and opinions are entirely my own. I was not compensated for this review. But if anyone does want to pay me to do this, please send me a DM lol! xx Lonely]⁠
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Know Before You Watch: Features blood, gore.

Review can be found at:

https://www.instagram.com/p/CkeX_lNO2GX/

High On Horror Review

By Drew Van Ess

October 27, 2022

And The (Heart) Beat Goes On; The Tell Tale Heart (2022) Short Film Review 

If there’s one thing that never foibles, it’s those stories from Stephen King, H.P. Lovecraft and Edgar Allen Poe. We know they will never stop circulating; some never before adapted on screen and some being adapted numerous times in varying ways. I bet most of you think that most of you think that The Raven is Edgar Allen Poe’s most used poem. In actuality, it’s The Tell Tale Heart. The 22-minute short film has been making the rounds at film festivals and collecting accolades left and right. Excluding run-time, what makes it so different from say the original British The Tell-Tale Heart (1960) horror film, or the 2016 film of the same name directed by John La Tier? 

This bloody take on the psychological horror story by Edgar Allen Poe about a man’s guilty conscious driving him to insanity is adapted in a way that turns the story on its head, but is faithful to the source material. 

     The reason that every fan of Edgar Allen Poe needs to see this is because this modern version does in 22 minutes what others couldn’t do in 90. McClain Lindquist doesn’t hold back on the horror, and doesn’t shy away from being dark as shit. Yet there’s a cocky witticism to it that makes it fun. Nevertheless, it’s gorgeous on the eyes; the cinematography and gruesome visuals drew me in immediately. Then there’s the make-up, that if I’m being honest, the quality took me aback for a short film. I have to say that for a low-budget indie short film that it’s incredibly polished. 

      The music is a standout. Its beautiful gothic score compliments the dark tone of the film while also being fun at times. 

     Where the movie suffers in inexperienced actors, it makes up for in gore. This is the bloodiest version I’ve seen of this classic story on screen. The wheel isn’t reinvented here, but it’s not another sloppy tiresome version of Poe’s story like we’ve seen in the past. It’s gory and packs a helluva punch for a flick under a half hour. It’s a compelling story drenched in blood. I’m impressed with what I saw; the biggest downfall was that I wish it ran longer. 

7.75/10

Review can be found at:

https://www.highonhorror.com/reviews/4ugnz6u0o0jmk9ng2t7k2c1fvyve5i