Talking Tribeca: AB-

I’ve had the pleasure of screening some feature-length and short selections from this year’s Tribeca Film Festival, which takes place April 17th-28th.

AB-
Directed by Daniel Klein
Festival Screenings

Full-length horror or thriller movies have the opportunity to give their protagonists a sense of hope, even if it ultimately doesn’t pan out, and, sometimes, by the end, things turn around for the good guys in peril. In this 9-minute short, however, there’s just one instant of light for the engaged couple whose car crashes in the middle of the night on a dark road. The safety alert system embedded in the car and activates, and a representative asks the driver if he is okay, announcing that he will send help right away. From there, things go downhill, as the ambulance arrives almost instantaneously, and two of the EMTs shout angrily at each other as one pries open the door to speak to the man, who is in far better condition than the woman. A sense of dread continues to build as it becomes clear that they are not there to help, and the man is powerless to do anything about it. Because of its short runtime, this story doesn’t get very far, and instead serves as a freaky anecdote that is half-satisfying and feels unfinished. This short is showing as part of the Deadbolt program.

See it or skip it? Not if car accidents or malicious medical personnel frighten you. Yes is you like horror or psychological horror.