Defarious (2016) – The Devil is in the Details – Fitz of Horror Review

Gothic Bob February 24, 2019

Synopsis: A young woman is tormented by her nightmares and they are beginning to manifest so strongly she becomes disillusioned between the world of her imagination and what is truly reality.

Ever have a really good dream and someone wakes you up? This movie is about the EXACT opposite. You’d wish someone would interrupt this one. It’s not quite Nightmare on Elm Street, though. It’s a clever thinker beneath the surface. We open Chase Michael Pallante’s ‘Defarious’ with a nice drone shot. Pallante has a few other shorts under his belt, such as Maturing Youth, Rasplata & Malignancy but Defarious seems to have started his trajectory. The aerial footage he opens with captures a “nefarious” twilight, perfectly. That feel carries throughout the film. We at Fitz of Horror were very excited to get our hands on Defarious!

The aforementioned drone shot alternates with some text. There is an ominous Bible passage which sends us on our way nicely. There are some following descriptors about sleep paralysis that are super important to remember throughout the film, otherwise, you might lose some of the art of this…and the point of why certain things or details are the way that they are.

Enter the home of Amy, played by Janet Miranda (Christmas Card, Adrenaline III, Flashdrive). It seems to be a nice house, that sits very alone in a secluded and wooded area. There are a few establishing shots of the two-floor house, continuing the tenebrosity via a wonderfully lit set. It seems Amy has experienced the recent loss of her mother and is struggling with that…as well as dealing with nightmares. There is nothing like the comfort and safety of a parent when you’re a child having night terrors. Amy regresses to those childhood feelings when faced with these horrific images and wishes for nothing more than the solace of her mother’s care. Miranda, as Amy, does a good job driving the suspense of Defarious as she makes her way battling these conditions and, more importantly, the Clown (Jason Torres). She has a wonderful scream and delivers a great performance. The real antagonist is the sleep paralysis, but its form of an apparition/clown is where the terror is. Kudos to Torres and the artists that assisted in bringing this frightening creature to life. There was one shot in particular where Torres maneuvered in harmony with the smoke/fog that I really enjoyed. You may find yourself asking, where have I seen this kind of ghost/killer clown before…white bald head, darkened eyes and even the familiar stabbing motions of the knife (trust me, I’m not spoiling the best parts)? Take this as an homage/throwback and don’t lose sight of the purpose of the film. The little details aren’t entirely cliche and, OH BOY, poor Amy! 

Defarious is a vicious and polarizing stroll through hell. It’s being stuck in limbo and watching a demon come to deliver you. It’s a solid short film for someone who is making their way into the industry. It’s not perfect and in the first viewing of it I found myself probably being a little too critical, asking “why did she wear riveted jean shorts and flat shoes to bed?” but then it dawned on me that I was missing the point. The devil is in the details. If you watch it as a girl who wakes up to fight a supernatural intruder and nothing more, you’re missing it too. All in all, the tone is good and the jumps (one or three) are certainly there for this 15-minute movie. There is a lot of potential for Chase Michael Pallante!

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