REMAIN CALM, YouTubers are Still Saving the Film Industry (Movie Review)
Spoiler: This might be the very first spoiler-free review I've ever done. I think I finally understand when people say things like, It's better if you experience it for yourself. And, in the instance of the new indie horror comedy Remain Calm, this advice proves to be very spot on.
While doom scrolling on insta a few chilly, autumn evenings ago, a clip pops up. An MIB (Man in Black) walks into a most deserted roadside convenience store in the middle of nowhere. I'm instantly intrigued and watch on. The man in black, with an uncanny grin stretched across thin lips, approaches the two cashiers at the front desk. Within minutes, all horror breaks loose.
But. Hold on. Let me back up a few steps.
First, the insta clip actually stops after the smiling man approaches the clerks and tells them to remain calm and that everything will be okay. Then it loops around
Now of course I had to figure out what the fk I just watched, because of course now I want to watch the whole thing. To my glee, a quick search of the comments reveals that it's an entirely Free short film available on YouTube, and that's exactly where my next scroll went straight to.
What follows is the most hilariously entertaining 13 minutes I've ever seen on YouTube and one of the best movies (other than the new Street Fighter) I've seen this year.
Director Jake Lewis perfectly combines the elements of pure dread and hysterical laughter into this short film centering around, you guessed it, a secret military experiment gone absolutely horrifically wrong. There are moments where laughter is immediately followed by blood splatter and curdling screams, and then vice versa. I didn't want the movie to end; sadly it does, but myself and many of the comments cheer for more, maybe even a full-length feature?!
As a fan of X-Files and Stranger Things, I loved the nod to the best aesthetics of both, with musical score, eeriness, film texture, lighting and so many other elements that immediately drew me into the hilarity and seriousness of being trapped with only one imperative to keep someone alive: Keep Smiling. Oh, and that it might be the only time when doom scrolling might save your life.
Once again, an independent filmmaker once again proved that a low budget, great acting, writing and location are all that's needed to make a great movie that audiences love.