Inside Review

Inside. is a 2020 experimental short film written and directed by Julian Martinez.

Welcome to a 90s vaporwave existential purgatory, the likes of which you have never seen before. This is the beautiful start of an eternity that Inside. presents to us.

The muddy visuals and distorted imagery from old worn-down VHS tapes fill a room with a haunting glow, as we are slowly introduced to our host. This extroverted spirit gives of course an instant visual likeness to that of the film A Ghost Story, but quickly takes a differing approach. One that was a smart move by Martinez to give this short a unique identity.

There are no direct answers to anything here, you shouldn’t expect to be fed anymore than an aesthetic splendor. It all just feels like something you’d see on a blank tape you find at the thrift store, which I absolutely enjoyed. It is unique and uncompromising in style.

Even with trying to decode some of the images shown on the television screen, everything is so far out of whack than a semblance of direct symbolism is out the window. We are simply left in a room with a ghost who is happy to have us at their party, a party albeit in an empty place, in a strange house.

The lighting throughout is harsh, drenched in shadows with the only direct source of light from the TV screen. As we continue on the room does slowly open up with string lighting but by this point, we are politely asked to leave in the form of the statement regarding that it is getting late.

As we end the short the only hint at an outside light is shown in a separate room, where the ghost now sits alone, perhaps reflecting, perhaps waiting to start the next party for the soul to enter.

I enjoyed this short film. It is full of atmosphere and existential dread. It brings a unique style and Martinez leaves us in an unsettling open-ended place by the end. It is a purgatory that I might just end up enjoying after all if I should ever end up there.

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Cheers!

Daniel Hess

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