A puritanical community in 19th-century Tennessee is in for a rude awakening when schoolteacher Christy (Ashton Lott) discovers something treacherous lying in wait at a local household. Summoned to oversee a troubled student, she must contend with more than just the off-putting Mr. and Mrs. Jacobs (Nate Raven, Holly Campbell Fowler) once night falls.
Bad Omen comes at a time when old folktales are the talk of the town. In fact, if you are looking for a quick warmup for Robert Eggers’ upcoming Werwulf, this should get your blood pumping nicely.
There’s this off-putting sense of isolation that courses through Bad Omen, almost as if we are seeing a lost campfire myth rediscovered from America’s early days in the Post-Colonial Era. The premise is simple: People are mysteriously disappearing with every full moon in the farming village. Locals are convinced Christy might have something to do with the disappearances, if not outright responsible. Things are muddy and bleak, despite some of the costuming and set design appearing oddly clean and free of any sign of wear and tear, but writer/director Connor Thomas makes the most of it with solid tension building. The cast is great, with the early chemistry between Lott and Fowler giving way to the Jacobs couple embracing the more grimy, outlandish edge to their respective roles. It’s in its latter half that the film really picks things up, a payoff built with excellent pacing and the crushing feeling that the walls are closing in around poor Christy.
The short continuously teases a sinister reveal from the opening sequence, and when it arrives, it really is a sight to behold. Independent films rarely come packed with as much ambition as this, as Thomas and co. unleash a fully rendered monster, lit by fire from every possible angle in a way that leaves nothing to the imagination. It might be a little rough around the edges —but it’s awe-inspiring all the same considering what the short’s budget was. Here is a cold, hard fact: a CGI creature of this kind on an indie budget has no business looking this good and should delight hardcore fans of similar-caliber filmmaking who understand what it takes to rig and wrangle such a being into a real-life setting. It moves, it runs, it rips into people, and it most certainly rocks!
Bad Omen is a horror short that bets big on its third-act carnage. It has the atmosphere, the directing, and the acting chops to make it all quite memorable… and gnarly.
