In ‘The Eve’, Luca Machnich does what any short prose writer only dreams of – to create a story that is not only mind blowing, but also… bone drilling! From the first shot it is clear that this Christmas story is not going on the same path we’re used to see on TV during the holiday season. The short is grim and the viewer feels a little bit out of place, or at least this is what we felt whilst watching it. This kind of feeling is always given by a great movie that is made to take you out of your comfort zone, and project you in a reality you weren’t sure it existed.

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At the beginning of the movie there is this statement saying that this short is based on many parts on the Max Lüscher theory of colors, a thing we weren’t familiar with to be honest. But after a brief research on his theory, we’ve understood that colors have an important role in defining the general mood of a certain scene. This is why the dream parts are very different in terms of perception from the actual narrative scenes, leaving the viewer feel the emotions through colors, without being aware of the actual brain activity.

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The score was really good and trippy – the narrative is coated with an amazing vibe made to put the thrills back where they belong. We’ve seen many horror movies in this festival, and without any doubt this is the one of the best we’ve experienced. Many directors aren’t careful enough when they are building up the action that escalates up to the spooky moment, rushing it and losing the scary effect. Luca Machnich took the time to make it right and the result is a short movie that you will certainly remember! 

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Written by Vlad A. G