The 2021 iteration of the Chattanooga Film Festival provided a variety of various films, some of which I had actually already seen before (and loved!) What follows is my full list of coverage for the festival, as well as full review links when applicable.
Films
BLOOD CONSCIOUS
Full review at the link.
BROADCAST SIGNAL INTRUSION
Full review at the link.
COMING HOME IN THE DARK
Full review at the link.
EVENTS TRANSPIRING BEFORE, DURING, AND AFTER A HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL GAME
This was one a little difficult to engage with, mainly because I found it lacking any dramatic or emotional stakes. An existential discussion on The Matrix becomes important locker room discussion. Even the titular basketball game doesn’t really feel that vital to any of the particulars for these characters. Even the players themselves are not exactly over the moon with their performance in the big game one way or the other. “This is one of those games we just forget about and move on,” one character muses near the end. While I appreciate the authenticity and simplicity of it all, this statement is basically how I felt about the film.
KANDISHA
Full review at the link.
THE LODGER
An atmospheric opening credits sequence sets the stage for this surprising, strange Hitchcockian psychological thriller. Disturbing imagery like rolling severed heads, melting mannequin skulls, and haunting dreams provide a constant source of tension. If I was going to rename this movie, I would title it Two Women Fight Over One Mannequin. Twenty years after her husband’s death, Elizabeth (Jacqueline Bisset) takes in a budding young student named Julie (Alice Isaaz), who she warns will have “a lot of temptation to hamper her studies.” Elizabeth keeps a pile of worn clothes and a lifelike mannequin that she views as being a live version of her husband. It is not long before the lines of reality begin to blur for Julie, as she thinks she sees Elizabeth’s husband in the flesh. It is chilling, campy, and just plain weird.
MY HEART CAN’T BEAT UNLESS YOU TELL IT TO
Full review at the link.
NIGHT DRIVE
There is no end in sight to the lengthy lineup of rideshare-based entertainment. Night Drive is the newest, injecting thrills and sci-fi into the heart of a strange character study. Driver Russell (AJ Bowen) picks up Charlotte (Sophie Dalah) for what should be a routine course. He is planning to attend a Christmas party later that night, but a wrench is thrown into his plans when Charlotte slips him a crisp $100 to make a second stop without putting it into the app. Their car conversation ranges from top five Christmas songs (in which Charlotte mixes up Bill Cosby and Bing Crosby) to guessing each other’s ages. Russell accidentally hits a guy with his car, Charlotte steals a mysterious briefcase, and the rest is a domino effect of bad decisions and surprising narrative directions. The back-and-forth banter between Russell and Charlotte is clever, varied, and chock-full of references to different movies. The final act goes full-tilt cerebral sci-fi, and it was definitely the best section of the movie. It left me wishing there was more to the story and less to the snappy dialogue.
THE OLD WAYS
Full review at the link.
SHE WATCHES FROM THE WOODS
After a tragic accident leaves her sister dead, June (Meredith Garretson) is forced to undergo horrible electro-shock treatments and mental therapy that will permanently haunt her. On the day of the death, June found a random creepy doll in the river. Once you see the doll floating in the water, it takes you. Now, she is always hearing eerie voices. Though her dying mother didn’t even visit or call once while recovering, June returns home with her girlfriend Maeve (Paulina Lule) to make amends. She seeks to prove that her sister’s death was no mere accident. She draws connections through research, as the cops are no help (an obvious horror trope). This time, at least one of the cops is from June’s past, and he is “an ally.” She Watches From the Woods is perfectly adequate, but for those who like answers to mysteries, this is the wrong movie for you. The film spends so much time establishing mood and atmosphere that it neglects everything else. There is not quite enough here to hit a home run, yet there is a surreal beauty to the flashes of horror from the imagination of Beau Ballinger.
TEDDY
Well, this was not the type of movie I thought I was getting. I expected Teddy to be more Carrie meets Ginger Snaps, but the werewolf angle is sorely lacking. We don’t even get any true wolf action until the last ten minutes of the movie—even then, it is used very sparingly. A bloodbath that feels like it should have a hefty impact just lays there, limply showing off impressive gore effects and not much else. As a reluctant masseuse, Teddy (Anthony Bajon) has a pretty uneventful life… up until he gets bitten by a wolf in the woods, and local animals—then people—start disappearing. The story heads in the exact direction you would hope it does, but there isn’t enough action or kills on display to keep the movie engaging. The best parts are when Teddy skirts into body horror territory. There is a scene where Teddy pulls a long hair out of his eye, which made me cringe in fascinated delight. The humor falls flat, and the only elements of Teddy that work are barely explored.
WE’RE ALL GOING TO THE WORLD’S FAIR
Full review at the link.
WOODLANDS DARK AND DAYS BEWITCHED: A HISTORY OF FOLK HORROR
Things I learned from Woodlands Dark and Days Bewitched: A History of Folk Horror:
• You can easily sustain a full 3 hours and 14 minutes of horror doc content.
• America is scared of the past and pagans!
• Hoodoo vs. Voodoo
• There is no such thing as Indian burial grounds.
• I have tons more folk horror I need to watch.
• “O Death” will always be the best end credits song.
My favorite movie of this year’s fest was definitely Kandisha, a crazy film that is best described as a foreign version of Candyman. I would give the runner-up award to immaculately-scored fantasy thriller, The Lodger. For more information about the 2021 Chattanooga Film Festival, please visit their website.