Little Deaths (2011)

Review by David Rupp



Composed of three disturbingly sensual and terrifying short narratives, unified by the twin themes of sex and death.

Written and Directed by
Sean Hogan
Andrew Parkinson
Simon Rumley

Starring:
Scott Ainslie, Mike Anfield and Kate Braithwaite

Just when you thought the UK horror invasion could do no wrong, along comes Little Deaths. Three motley bedfellows tumble together for an offering of distorted pleasure, gritty deviate living and of course death. This film isn't a total shot wad though, it has some redeeming qualities. Acting, for one was something that surpassed my expectations, each delivery was believable for it's onw unique situation. Downside to that the development was lacking, no true understanding of the whole picture as to why and how with the interaction. Finally we come to shooting style, even though we have offerings from three different directors one thing they each bring into this experience are great use of color, lighting and texture.
The first segment is called House and Home and is the more forgetable of the three, a textbook supernatural styled basic tale right out of horror 101. With a plot as thin as a Trojan ultra and the characters that make you really work to suspend disbelief, this opening offering leaves you sleeping on the wet spot unfulfilled. I think there could of been so much more to this than where it left off...you decide.
Mutant Tool kicks into gear to pick up the pace a little, if only in a bizarre David Lynch meets John Waters kind of grotesque flirtation. Once again the acting prevails but alas this has a bit of plot, some wildly disturbing imagery and a creepy dark vibe. As original a story as I have ever seen, this definitely could have been made into a full feature. I won't go into gory detail but this one will stick with you for many reasons.
The Final assault on your senses is Bitch, I really enjoyed the use of lighting, texture and creative editing to convey the overall tone of utter depraved insanity. This one I feel was the best of the 3, it is a brutally simple story, power, roleplay, dependence and revenge. It's one of those films where the details sneak up on you right before it brains you with a rubber dog bone. Powerful performances, great use of cinematic rescources and the "it could happen in my neighorhood" feel lend this film the credibility, great short but not enough meat for a feature.
All in all I find Little Deaths slightly rushed, under achieved and lacking some key elements essential to both plot and character. Each telling had both an element of originality and predictability, but still maintained a level of gut wrenching almot to the top terror. If you happen onto this on a streaming capacity by all means give it a go, otherwise toss it off to the side.
4/10