8 Hours (Film Review)
8 hours is a short psychological thriller written and directed by Carson Mckinnon. Shot with a five hundred dollar budget, the film went on to win Best Filmmaker Under 18 at the Utah Film Awards in 2019.
8 hours begins with narration. The gruff voice explains to the viewer that though most American families strive for a perfect exterior many are plagued with familial disruption. The film then opens to a nuclear family eating dinner. Though this scene is rather simple it carries a great deal of tension. Here we meet Stephen, a teen who has been newly adopted by his Aunt and Uncle. His Uncle the patriarch of the family is physically abusive towards his wife and nephew. Stephen excuses himself from dinner and the audience sees a glimpse of Stephen sleeping in his room. This scene is particularly interesting due to its creative use of lighting.
The film takes an unexpected turn when Stephen is woken by his Uncle the next morning. His Uncle who is berating Stephen for walking up late hits him on the head with an alarm clock. As a repercussion for his abuse, Stephen ties his Uncle to an office chair. Stephen spends the majority of the film torturing his Uncle with a taser and a video from his childhood while he is held captive for 8 hours.
In twenty-seven minutes McKinnon is able to create characters with intricate backstories that provoke sympathy. These characters are undoubtedly wicked, however by the end of the film, it is not clear who the true villain of the story is. Viewers are left with more questions than answers. Though the film generally lacks in terms of dialogue. Many of the lines said by its characters feel unnatural and forced. 8 hours makes up for this by its usage of suspense. By using sharp camera angles and music, the film succeed in building apprehension. A task that is rather difficult in filmmaking.
Overall Mckinnon holds a great deal of promise and potential as a filmmaker. It will be interesting to see how his filmmaking style progresses as his career moves forward.
