Under The Flowers: Circle Of Hell
| Written by: Richard T. Wilson | Directed by: Richard T. Wilson | Genre: Supernatural | Length: 17 minutes |
| “Regret, pride, all these traits are here as underlying tones. Things we can all relate with in the real world. |
| This dark adventure thrust me head first to the ‘In Between’. A world somewhere between our own and hell itself. It’s this place where souls in question are tested. Failure means consumption. Literally, your soul will be eaten by one of those pesky soul eaters. Although pleasant enough on the outside, these demons are not to be trifled with, as our hero’s guide Nerissa (Kirsten Lee) exemplifies.The core concept of this short film from Richard T. Wilson is ‘literally’ the soul. With some loose indirect references to Catholicism, “Under The Flowers: Circle Of Hell” centers on the trials and temptations of it’s stars. In this chapter of the series mainly one of it’s stars in particular. The ultimate goal for the evil voice is the soul, and it will, and does, use any trick it can muster up. In many ways this title mirrors the temptations of real life. Regrets, pride, all these traits are here as underlying tones. Things we can all relate with in the real world are mirrored and played with here. I ‘may’ be reading far too deeply into the film, but found myself thinking these things as I watched.Interestingly enough, I was expecting to see a lot more of Charlotte (Catherine Kustra) onscreen. Being prominent on the poster art I ‘assumed’ she would be in the starring role. She definitely has the acting chops, but was used more as the wrap around character for this title. The same can be said of the Poe character (Lauren LeVera) whom was rarely present at all. I realize that this is a second chapter in a larger story, but was expecting to at least meet this character with more than a few quick shots.Following around Rose (Amanda Kay Livezey) though, left very little to complain about. Her confusion, grief and eventual understanding felt real and played well onscreen. Not over the top but natural. I imagine most people would react the same way in a similar situation. Her pairing with Kirsten Lee, totaling the bulk of the title, felt completely right.
“Under The Flowers: Circle Of Hell” is a micro budget title without some of the hallmark low budget expectations. You say low budget? I say bad audio. You say micro movie? I say sub standard visuals. It’s universally accepted that ‘micro’ means more emphasis on story – and this title definitely has story. It also just happens to sound great, and look pretty decent, proving that micro doesn’t always mean bad visuals or sound. To top the cake we have some good believable work by the cast. So what’s left? The mood.Richard T. Wilson offers up a crazy experience with the presentation of this title. Maybe a little much at times, but the color and 1990s styled contrast definitely fit the bill. “Under The Flowers: Circle Of Hell” also offers up a lot of digital effects to create a feeling of dread; and ‘mostly’ succeeds. The voice of evil is also worth calling out. Chilling and fantastic. Watching this title has really made me want to go back and watch the first chapter. I know that’s backwards but still true. Where does this leave the talented folks who make up this title? It ‘should’ leave them feeling pretty good. Had “Under The Flowers: Circle Of Hell” been a wash, I wouldn’t care about what happened previously. That about sums up my thoughts. Four out of five stars. Well worth the time. UNDER THE FLOWERS: Circle of Hell (preview) from RTW Productions, Inc. on Vimeo.
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