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Painkiller (Short Film)
Action Media Productions
Director: Jeremiah Kipp
Rating: 4/5
Pain and pleasure are two symbiotic emotions. You have to experience one in order to experience the other. They are the driving force behind many creative ventures and art. We see examples of this in cinema, literature, pornography, etc. What happens when they are the driving force behind scientific venture? According to Painkiller ‘s director, Jeremiah Kipp , and writer, Jerry Janda , the results would be very David Cronenberg .
The plot of Painkiller centers around the idea of creating a pharmaceutical that can release endorphins when someone is in pain. The result of this experimentation is an organism that latches onto the host and feeds off the pain a person is experiencing and provides them with an abundance of endorphins. Two scientists quickly move to human trials and everything falls apart.
The opening scene of Painkiller is the most chilling. The repetition of Kelly Rae LeGault ‘s voice repeating the phrase “it’s not enough” combined with the sound of her hitting a hammer against something wet sounding is unsettling. Once the film gets to the meat of the story, the uneasiness wears off. There is still plenty of disturbing imagery, I was just hoping for a little more in the gross out department but that could just be my love for gore.
The other standout performance is Jerry Janda as the man in the suit. I loved this character. There were only four actors in the short and they performed well, but Kelly and Jerry stole their scenes. The character of “Man #2″ is fascinating. I would love to see a full length feature around this character or a series of shorts. There is a lot to be explored here and so many open ideas. I’ll refrain from spoilers, as it is hard to say much about him without doing so.
Painkiller is a nod to Cronenberg style body horror with a twist of addiction and a story that is as intelligent as it is disturbing. It doesn’t go as far as I would have liked and that it is not a dig. Again, it is just personal preference. I highly recommend checking it out. You can purchase the short by clicking here: Painkiller
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