V
2018 · 10m · United Kingdom
Directed by Jimmy Dean
Genres: coming-of-age, drama, horror
Tones: contemplative, dark, tender
A young woman, Minnie, appears to be a vampire - but her 'vampirism' is a metaphor for something much darker and more real, in this horror/social-realism blend about adolescence, isolation and the digital generation, shot in intimate 4:3 and starring Synnove Karlsen. A Film London London Calling commission.
Picked by Zoe
The scouts
The vampire-as-metaphor angle feels safe—what could've been genuinely unsettling instead lands in familiar indie horror territory, all mood and no bite.
Shot in 4:3 with considered restraint, this sits comfortably within the post-mumblecore horror lineage, its formal choices precise even if the premise doesn't quite transcend its own framework.
Karlsen's performance—that specific gravity she brings to isolation, the way the camera holds on small gestures in tight 4:3—transforms what could be stock metaphor into something achingly tactile and real.
Reviews
Succeeding where many have failed before, filmmaker Jimmy Dean and writer/producer Ellie Gocher add a fresh twist to the Vampire genre by blending Horror and Social Realism to create topical, thought-provoking short V. Despite the fantastical elements of their narrative, Dean and Gocher were determined to make a film that felt real, relevant and intimate.