This is a treat. I was looking at another film on IMDb and noticed "alchemist" as the keyword and, curious, clicked on it, which led me to this short film by Benjamin Dickerson, who clearly has a more comprehensive understanding than most of what "alchemy" really means (in the hermetic sciences, it was about much more than changing lead into gold).
Lindsay has locked herself into a grimy purgatorial (or worse) basement because she is convinced that she is undergoing some kind of physical and mental transformation. The film is intended as a documentation of the process, and so, it seems, the transformation begins. At times Lindsay talks to the camera but is unable to articulate specifically what is happening, or why. But a happy camper, she is not.
There are lots of great things about this film, not the least of which is the actress, Pip Dwyer, who is either transforming into something or going insane, or both. A moody and haunting soundtrack accompanies the excellent camera work and editing as Lindsay unravels (the score is remarkable; it would be worth listening to on its own).
You can't pigeonhole this. It feels like a horror film, but is avant-garde, artistic, and surreal to the point where the term horror feels unfairly reductive, though it did creep me out.
Lindsay the Alchemist got under my skin. I had to smile at the ending, despite the nasty feeling in my stomach.
There are a lot of people making short films and putting them on the Internet these days, but Dickerson feels, to me, deserving of a feature film deal (no, I do not know Dickerson and am not shilling for him).
It's simply that this film indicates he's got the chops. With Lindsay the Alchemist, he has managed to make a film with one character, one room, and spare dialog compelling, weird, and disturbing. Even though this is a short film, it doesn't feel like a student film; the effectiveness of this pushes it into a whole other league.
You can watch this grim and existential film online at the filmmaker's website.
I would add that this is definitely not for young children.
Lindsay has locked herself into a grimy purgatorial (or worse) basement because she is convinced that she is undergoing some kind of physical and mental transformation. The film is intended as a documentation of the process, and so, it seems, the transformation begins. At times Lindsay talks to the camera but is unable to articulate specifically what is happening, or why. But a happy camper, she is not.
There are lots of great things about this film, not the least of which is the actress, Pip Dwyer, who is either transforming into something or going insane, or both. A moody and haunting soundtrack accompanies the excellent camera work and editing as Lindsay unravels (the score is remarkable; it would be worth listening to on its own).
You can't pigeonhole this. It feels like a horror film, but is avant-garde, artistic, and surreal to the point where the term horror feels unfairly reductive, though it did creep me out.
Lindsay the Alchemist got under my skin. I had to smile at the ending, despite the nasty feeling in my stomach.
There are a lot of people making short films and putting them on the Internet these days, but Dickerson feels, to me, deserving of a feature film deal (no, I do not know Dickerson and am not shilling for him).
It's simply that this film indicates he's got the chops. With Lindsay the Alchemist, he has managed to make a film with one character, one room, and spare dialog compelling, weird, and disturbing. Even though this is a short film, it doesn't feel like a student film; the effectiveness of this pushes it into a whole other league.
You can watch this grim and existential film online at the filmmaker's website.
I would add that this is definitely not for young children.