Eye for an Eye: Henrietta Review

Eye For An Eye: Henrietta Review

Imagine if you combined the brutal supernatural horror of Lucio Fulci, with the colorful neo-noir style of Micheal Mann, adding a healthy dose of 70’s Giallo for good measure. The result would probably be something close to Eye for an Eye: Henrietta, the new short film from USC MFA alum, writer/director Elia Petridis. The short is a tight horror piece that works with the schlock-value of its subject matter, and isn’t afraid to wink to its audience, all while still making them squirm.

The film tells the story of the titular Henrietta, a down-on-her-luck character who takes up residency at a creepy half-way house, within which her close friend recently disappeared. Once there, she learns that the setting may not be as serene as she had thought…in fact it bears haunted strings attached.

From the opening shot, the short film saturates the viewer in a gorgeous, dream-like color-pallete, delineating characters’ flashy 80’s clothing against the gorgeous cool blues of the Vista Del Mar coast. The campy dialogue adds to this mystique by emboldening the characters with archetypal strengths that compensate for their limited screen time. All this rising tension ultimately leads to an immensely satisfying pay off, that blends CGI and practical effects in a way that’s creative, if not a little stomach churning.

While the short tells a complete story, it also ends on a cliffhanger that teases the next installment of the story as a VR short, and I for one can’t wait to see how this world translates into an equally strange new medium.