Movie Reviews

‘Regret’ (CIFF Entry) Review – Turns One Man’s Inner Demons into One of the Most Menacing and Nightmarish Things You’ll See This Year

Synopsis:

A man in the throes of regret must survive the night when the physical manifestation of his inner demons begins to stalk him.

As of October 14th, The 56th Chicago International Film Festival (CIFF) has begun. Running through October 25th, I have been lucky enough to be granted some virtual screenings, as the entire experience is virtual due to The Rona. This is the third of about ten works I viewed that are apart of their ‘After Dark’ series and they all fit perfectly in October. The following film is available as part of Shorts 3: A Creeping Chill (After Dark).

I think it’s pretty safe to say that most of us don’t fully admit to our regrets. We seem to live in a “No regrets” society when we actually regret more than we let on. You could regret not applying for that position, sending that one text, that vote from a few years ago, or simply, not saying hello. Whichever way you look at, big or small, there are things we all regret. Since every regret is an emotional response to a negative outcome from a decision we made, we tend to suppress those feelings somewhere in our subconscious in hopes to never have to deal with them again. We know that it’s unhealthy to keep things bottled up, but what if it’s not only because of the stress it puts on our bodies? What if a physical manifestation of your demons materialized? The Canadian short, Regret turns one man’s inner demons into one of the most menacing and nightmarish things you’ll see this year. The short film executes a perfect build-up that is completely unexpected. It begins with some mesmerizing cinematography that leads to some great shots later on. The concept is very relatable and plays out in an eerie way. Additionally, the score really pulls it all together nicely. However, I’m not certain that it would be abundantly clear what the short is about without reading the synopsis. Nevertheless, I enjoyed Regret very much. Its rewatchability is high.

Plot & Pace

After receiving trouble news while on a business trip, a man decides to ignore it all and bury himself in his work. Feeling that he may have made a mistake, a sinister presence appears and now he must find help or survive the night alone.
The pacing is well done. You get the right amount of build-up, scare, and resolution.