SHORT FILM REVIEW
SPECIAL
A hit-man has a very unique weapon to kill his targets... his daughter.
SPECIAL STARTS OFF WITH a man being murdered in front of our eyes. The camera is careful not to reveal much detail, but the sounds paint a clear picture. The next day, two people meet and the apparent boss of bosses, greets a bigger man with a coffee and a few words about being late. The man who was late is Paulie (Tom Scorzone) and if you need someone "whacked" he's the guy to call. His murders fly under the radar, and the reason for that is that there's no apparent cause of death. Paulie's secret weapon? Peyton (Brooke Greening) would be the answer. This is a woman with some serious telekinetic gifts, and she also happens to be Paulie's daughter.
WHEN YOU CONSIDER THAT PEYTON DOESN'T WANT TO BE A MURDERER, THINGS GET EVEN MORE COMPLICATED
Let that sink in for a minute. A hit man using his daughter as a murder weapon. Sure, being able to kill someone just by thinking it is a cool power, but to be making Peyton do such things is scummy at best... especially for a father. When you consider that Peyton doesn't "want" to be a murderer, things get even more complicated. But Peyton isn't the only one with powers. Through a support group kind of thing, she meets another woman who is special... Sheena (Julia Wyrzuc) comes from a family who hates her and wants her dead. But Sheena has been struggling "not" to use her powers against her dreadful family. Only now, both her and Peyton are being told they "should" use their power to punish people. It's a gift, not a curse.
JOSHUA NELSON'S SHORT FILM ACTS AS AN INTRODUCTION TO THIS WORLD OF TELEKINETIC MURDERERS FOR HIRE
Along the way, we meet a few other key characters. There's Paulie's girlfriend whose father just happens to be on Paulie's hit list. There's also a woman who wants her boyfriend assassinated because he's a drug addict, and very violent; Then there's also the boss who acts as the connecting thread for a lot of the interconnecting plots. Special runs just over a half hour but manages to include a lot of story in that time frame, and Joshua Nelson's short film also acts as an introduction to this world of telekinetic murderers for hire, and there's still a heaping amount of potential story on the bone for a sequel. I would love to see that happen.
SPECIAL IS AN ENTERTAINING HALF HOUR WITH SOME WELL PLAYED MOMENTS FROM ITS CAST
Focusing on the characters is a great way to tell a supernatural story without a lot of cash backing you. Special doesn't shy away from its fantastic ideas of supernatural murders and telekinetic abilities, but doesn't attempt to accomplish something that can't be done without a large budget. It's an entertaining half hour with some well played moments from its cast, and a good solid concept from Joshua Nelson himself. The plot is original enough to be good, but doesn't try to reinvent the wheel resulting in a good overall production, one that should satisfy most people so long as they like the supernatural genre. A lot can be done with little money, if you're willing to just say F*it and get it done. Special takes what it has and runs with it. Three and a half stars and easily recommendable.
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