A mentally unstable young man takes care of his grandfather while alienating everyone else in his life. “Pricks of Sensation,” directed by Alex Sulock, is a disturbing portrait of a downward spiral, a pitch black fever dream tracking a man on the verge of snapping. Tending to his ailing grandfather at home, he turns into a loose cannon when he hits the outside world. Unreliable at his job, and prone to fights at parties, Vick seems desperate to cross the line in whatever way he can. Setting a frantic tone and leaning into the bloody and grotesque, the film is an uncompromising DIY vision of toxicity and paranoia. It’s a bit of a shift from Sulock’s previous short, “Out of Focus,” which we featured in January, which locked into a more casual energy; both are self-assured snapshots of vulnerable youth. -KA. Director, editor, producer: Alex Sulock. Cast: Hank Austin, James Ball. DP: Irina Lazouski and Alex Sulock. Sound, AD: Chris Martinez. Gaff: Irina Lazouski. Score: David Motta. Sound Design: Veronica Hein. Title Animation: Izzy Perez. Animal Wrangler: Evan Gromen.
Out of Focus: https://www.nobudge.com/out-of-focus
Up Next in From the Archives
-
The Follower
Fueled by the hope of escaping her dreary suburban life, a misunderstood teen entertains the increasingly sinister advances of an Internet acquaintance. A stylish and self-assured melange of high and low art, “The Follower” tracks the excitement and danger of a 16-old-year girl drifting away from...
-
Buried
Stalked by a sinister presence, a winemaker grows suspicious that her vineyard is being poisoned. “Buried,” directed by Nat Gee, is a 16mm drama where paranoia leaks into a woman’s laborious day-to-day duties. Eva sets forth into her vineyard as she prepares for an upcoming tasting event for pote...
-
Bar Snakes
A lonesome woman with strong moral fiber meets a new man for a late night drink. “Bar Snakes,” directed by Alex Warren, is a boozy vignette that perfectly captures the flirtatious maneuverings of two tipsy souls. The woman (played by Kate Adams) is already drunk when the date starts; the man (pla...
1 Comment