Film Review: TINGLEWOOD (2009) (Short Film)

TINGLEWOOD **** Australia 2009 Dir: Alexander von Hofmann. 17 mins

A slickly shot and edited, ruthless short horror from Australia, this is constructed around an ill-fated camping trip taken by a satisfyingly unsympathetic family. The oldest kid has an unhealthy obsession with insects, looks like he’s aspiring to be a serial killer and is mean to his kid sister. Dad relishes the chance to freak out his own daughter with the old Tale of the Hook campfire story routine when night falls.
Both parents are savaged by a nocturnal attack of toothy, vicious creatures. The tense build up pays off with a frenetically paced assault courtesy of the fast-moving goblin creatures, and the film offers a credible visualisation of a child’s fear of rampaging, family-killing monsters. The visual FX -alternating with puppets- are understandably uneven given the low budget, though more often than not they serve the story well. Bonus points for its indiscriminate death count.

Review by Steven West