There is PANDEMONIUM at Screamfest 2023

 

Jeri Jacquin

Setting the stage for a journey like no other from writer/director Quarxx, Trangressive Productions and Film Seekers comes a melding of stories that creates PANDEMONIUM.

Nathan (Hugo Dillon) has woken up in the middle of the road on a very cold day. Seeing his car smashed, he realizes he has been in a car accident. Also in the accident is Daniel (Arben Barjraktaraj) who has realized long before Nathan that they are both dead. Nathan is furious at the thought but a very calm Daniel seems to understand their situation.

That’s when two doors appear, one seems lovely and plays music that Daniel can hear and the other door is a little less lovely. Both men begin to argue with one another as two who has committed the bigger sin but Nathan walks through the door. On the other side are stories such as Nina (Manon Maindivide), a young girl who is about to become the most heinous child.

Then there is Chloe’s (Sidwell Weber) story that is horribly relatable as her mother Julia (Ophelia Kolb) tries to come to terms with the question all parents ask, ‘what did I miss?’. When Nathan can hand no more, he is confronted by a creature that makes it clear that he will become the epitome of suffering but for how long?

Dillon as Nathan is carrying a heavy secret about his life and it follows him into death and beyond. Experiencing the pain, agony and heinous acts that human beings commit on one another sends Nathan deeper into the underworld where he feels he doesn’t belong. He could never have imagined that one decision would bring such pain. Dillon does an excellent job of convincing us to feel for Nathan as he dragged down hard.

Bajraktaraj as Daniel is the calm of the two. Realizing what has happened, he tries to convince Nathan but the two end up comparing life mistakes. I kept waiting for Daniel to bring in something more and that tension alone is amazingly done by Bajraktaraj’s portrayal of this character. One thing this character taught me, never say anything about being ‘pushed’.

Maindivide as Nina is a young girl who lives in a world all her own. In that world, people who do not follow along with her life vision don’t do well. Allowing her monster Tony in on what is happening at home brings in the worst horror I could have imagined. I don’t need a lot of blood and gore to convince me when evil is afoot. Maindivide’s performance rivals that of Patty McCormack’s portrayal of Rhoda in the 1956 film THE BAD SEED.

Kolb as Julia is the saddest story of them all because it is based on life and the issues facing young girls. Julia is a mother trying to raise her daughter to face things head on but has no idea what the young Chloe has been dealing with since moving into their new place. Mom is working and Chloe is going to school and sometimes life gets hectic and things are missed. Kolb goes into a dark place with her character and takes Chloe with her.

Other cast include Jerome Paquatte as Livreur and Carl Laforet as Tony.

Film Seekers is a London-based agency working with new and established filmmakers. Films such as LOVE SARAH and THE WITCH IN THE WINDOW are festival favorites and last year’s hit JUNE AGAIN, was nominated for four Academy Awards in Australia. For more on Film Seekers please visit www.film-seekers.com.

PANDEMONIUM, first of all, definetly has a Dante like quality to the story that Quarxx is trying to tell. The cast brilliantly takes us on this ride and never gives us a moment to think. It is all in our face and we, the viewer, are forced to challenge our own beliefs about this life and the next, what is a sin and what is unforgiveable in the eyes of the universe.

The cinematography is also quite amazing and horrifying in equal measure. This film is horror for the mind in a way that I prefer for the genre. It had my brain on fire while continuing to watch what was in front of me, almost as if I tried to jump ahead of the story and man, was I very, very wrong in a few key places. That being said, I loved being wrong because Quarxx took those twisty turns and probably smirked at everyone. At least I hope he did!

In the end – hell knows no forgiveness!