Review: Short film ‘Projection’ shows great promise

Horror is often a means of coping with or shedding light on life’s darkest moments. Writer/director Ari Groobman exposes the slimy underbelly of domestic violence with his new short, Projection. Clocking in at 12 minutes, the film uses its brisk runtime to its advantage to tell a moody and emotional tale about a young woman escaping an abusive household, only to find herself the target of another brand of insidious evil. Projection features evocative camera work that digs into the psyche of an abuse survivor attempting to deal with her life and finding a way forward. Somber blues and greens underscore the mental decay, providing ample shadows and dark figures.

Katie (Mikey Gray) finds herself at the end of her rope. Emotionally and physically drained, she manages to muster up the strength to flee a vicious home life that seeks to rip her to shreds. With her sister Haley (Preslea Elliott), she secures a temporary housing arrangement, just to give her enough time to regain her footing and squelch the misery throbbing in her body. But the neighborhood harbors a wickedness beyond her wildest imagination. She’s forced into a corner, and all she can do is confront her pain and learn to stand up for herself. Through ruin, she emerges far more self-possessed and resilient than she could have ever anticipated.

Projection shows Groobman as one to watch on the indie scene. His sense of the human condition, as well as how to mold his influences into something new, provides the script with enough bite to perfectly capture the tug-of-war raging within. With the impressive short, he immediately puts his proverbial flag into the heart of horror. Great things are coming his way.