In our festival, rarely do we see a horror short that centers its emotions on the score, rather than the dialogue. In 'Vicious Mind Project', Michael Resin manages to foreground a quite obvious state through the audio part.
The plot is quite simple, as it is presented on the cover: Betrayed by his best friend, Michael decides to take revenge by calling the strengths of the darkness. We enjoyed very much how darkness is portrayed here – coming out from the depths of the forest, adding a grey filter to the world we perceive as being normal.
The main point of this short is undoubtedly the score. Not that often we get the chance to see such a perfect match between the score and the visuals. This short can easily be featured as a music video for the band that produced the music. And from our point of view, this should happen, as the potential of 'Vicious Mind Project' is impressive, especially as it goes more in this direction.
This movie makes you realize why so many other movies fail to be scary... and that is the lack of psychological elements. What this movie does right is that it skips the gore, blood, and over-the-top overacting crazed lunatics that seem the norm in most horror movies out there.
The film itself was very unsettling and disturbing, which worked more effectively than some teens getting slashed with axes. Michael Resin seems like he never struggled to make this movie – everything came natural, and we have the proof right here in front of us.
So if you are looking for a horror flick to watch on Friday night, be sure to pick 'Vicious Mind Project'. Keep in mind to to watch it at night with the lights off. A good story, nice scares, decent acting and smooth direction! Enjoy the movie!
Written by Vlad A. G