scottaschroth Reviews

Laps (I) (2017)

Talent on Display

[8/10 · 20 February 2023]

You can truly see the talent of Charlotte Wells on full display here. The intense, up-close camera work and no real dialogue paint a horrifying portrait of a woman just trying to get from one place to another when tragedy strikes. As a 6 minute short - obviously there is only so much to say but those six minutes give you a clear idea of the kinds of stories that Wells favors. This one in particular being a story of distress and suffering. Wells is a clear visual story teller with a significant amount of unspoken substance. Safdie-Esque, I will be sure to keep my eye on anything / everything that Wells has put her creative vision into.

Jackals & Fireflies (2023)

It's Alright

[6/10 · 16 February 2023]

Jackals & Fireflies is an interesting short film. It is not bad, but I'd refrain from calling it great or even really good. There is an element of the human spirit that is present throughout it's poetic nature which the visuals and music explore. Though, it feels somewhat incomplete. Maybe that's due to the fact that my expectations are too high based on Kaufman's previous work. This is just a short film, created because Samsung paid for it and there's nothing wrong with that, as it serves it's purpose. The camera work and overall message including the setting are absolutely something that I would love Kaufman to tackle in a future film. Interesting, and at times entertaining (LFGM)- there is absolutely nothing wrong with this film but it really doesn't blow me out of the water either.

The Outwaters (2022)

Ambitious + Boring Mess

[3/10 · 8 February 2023]

The Outwaters is a relatively ambitious but ultimately boring and self-indulgent Found Footage film. Despite the clear effort, and some truly excellent sequences- the majority of this film is very boring and lacks a clear direction. There is almost no characterization, very little plot, and very annoying sound design. Considering the circumstances around this movie (the budget, and the fact that this is basically a one man mission) - You can't help but be impressed at this ambitious mess at times. I hope that this director continues to improve, being a fellow New-Jerseyan, but I will never be re-visiting this one.