Killers come in all shapes in sizes, both in film and in the real world. Each one could be wildly different from the last and motive is usually the trait that defines them the most. But every now and again, someone with homicidal tendencies comes along and wreaks havoc for no good reason. These are the most dangerous variety of killer, simply because you have no real way of knowing what they want, or what they’re willing to do to get it. This is the fear She Was So Pretty is built on.
Directed by Brooklyn Ewing, She Was So Pretty tells the story of Valerie Vestron a young mother from the city who wants more than anything to just get away from it all. Valerie believes she’s found this when her friends invite her out to a secluded cabin for the weekend. But their harmless attempt at a couple days of joviality turns deadly when Valerie’s stalker, a violent serial killer, kidnaps her in the night.
Despite being filmed on virtually no budget, the film has surprisingly rich cinematography, an even richer color palette, and lighting that fluctuates between crisp warmth and shots dominated by blurred moody shadows. The score also does a great job of adding to a sense of inevitability and terror that begins mounting in the very first scene. All of this emotion and atmosphere is then of course maintained by an excellently bone chilling and bizarre performance from antagonist Jerry Larew. As much as this film made my skin crawl, She Was So Pretty is only the first of many great projects from Dirt Candy, and I honestly can’t wait to see what they do next.
Shot in 2015, and released in 2016, you can watch the short film on Vimeo for only $0.99. Check it out in the link, here. The film was shot on almost no budget nor sound equipment on a Nikon camera. The filmmakers are currently working on a sequel to She Was So Pretty, entitled: She Was So Pretty: Be Good for Goodness Sake. This time around they have nabbed themselves a sound crew and budget and are seeking to compensate where they lacked the first time around.
