Everything Goes Dark
2023 · 15m · USA
Directed by Alexander Casimir
Genres: coming-of-age, drama, horror
Tones: dark, melancholic, tense
On senior picture day at a predominantly white high school, a Black student named Simone must confront her insecurities and a tense friendship that push her toward a breaking point, transforming her into something abnormal.
Picked by Margot
The scouts
Picture day at the white school becomes supernatural — Get Out comp is the tell, everyone making a Black horror short is comping Get Out now. Could be sharp, could be the dozenth iteration of the same idea.
Casimir joins the productive lineage of Anna Rose Holmer's The Fits, where adolescent body-politics turn metamorphic. The festival cluster (Palm Springs, Atlanta, SOTW) suggests the genre conceit lands rather than merely gestures.
A 14:59 horror-coming-of-age that hit Palm Springs ShortFest, Aesthetica, Atlanta, and SOTW — that's a strong selection profile for a film using genre to externalize racialized alienation. The Senior-Photo-Day frame is a smart container; whether the supernatural shift earns its turn is what I'd be watching for.
Reviews
Casimir uses genre to illustrate the discomfort of standing out and the anxiety it creates through a coming-of-age narrative centered around picture day at a predominantly white high school.
A Black high school student prepares to take her senior yearbook photo when insecurities and a tense friendship push her towards a breaking point.
Festivals
- Aesthetica Short Film Festival 2023
- Palm Springs International ShortFest 2024
- Atlanta Film Festival 2024
- Florida Film Festival 2024
- Toronto Black Film Festival 2024
- Dances With Films 2024
- New/Next Film Festival 2024