By: Jaimz Dillman
When a filmmaker creates a story injected with a morality tale, as well as room for your own questions and conclusions, you get INFERNUM OBSCURA. Latin for "Hell's camera," at just 48 minutes, there's plenty of time for you to get hooked on the characters, but not so much meat that you can really sink your teeth into the mystery.
Photographer Andrew Wyke (Adam Graham) is a renowned, yet miserable, horror artist looking for his next... something. When his eager-to-please assistant Noah (Jason Wood) lands an abandoned school for their next shoot, it's game on. Hiring his favorite subject, an almost frenzied Cassandra (Danielle Lang), we soon find out she and Andrew have a not so great past. Rounded out by makeup artist Blair (Jessica Cannaday), the foursome discover they may not be the only ones at Abicore Academy.
It was a little confusing as to why Cassandra would work with Andrew again, since he's such a prick, as Noah pointedly says several times. There's definitely a few points that make you think, "leave if you're so miserable!" And that's the point. There's a bigger consideration in play here - be careful what you wish for, you just may get it.
A couple quick parts lend to the mystery surrounding the school. Professor Abigail Sloane (Brinke Stevens, with over 200 horror credits to her name) warns the group to leave immediately, and Malcolm Albigor (Greg Nicotero of The Walking Dead) puts a spin on the ending.
For fans of Dark Shadows, and movies such as The Changeling and Burnt Offerings, you'll see Roddy's tip of the hat to tales of evil with lasting damage. And you'll have more than a few moments of the creeps.There is a possibility for more to the story with a continued anthology. Hopefully more will be added to round out the story with a deeper dive into what put the characters into their miserable predicament in the first place.
Look for more info on upcoming screenings @j.michaelroddy on IG.
