The Nocnitsa Review
The Nocnitsa is a 2019 short horror film directed, written, and produced by Andy Taylor.
With a simple yet terrifying premise and some genuinely disturbing creature design, The Nocnitsa is a strong showcase for what Andy Taylor could easily flesh out to a full feature film.
A nocnitsa or notsnitsa comes from Slavic mythology. It is a nightmare spirit that sits on one’s chest in order to drain “life energy,” away from their victims. Some people see it as being related to a type of vampire as well, since there are main parallels in the aspects of draining one’s essence.
To take something from a deep mythological place and transport it to the modern day is a very bold but creative choice. Here it pays off very well.
While as noted earlier, the story is simplistic, revolving around Mia, a woman haunted by this spirit. From the beginning we see the literal scars this demonic creature left behind, going back in time from there. The story then gives a good glimpse into a bit of her life, giving some nice character development.
Where the film shines the most has to be in the monster design aspect. What at first comes across as just a normal demonic looking woman, transforms into something that we only see for a little while, but that moment is truly bone chilling. It is rare that even in large budget horror films do we see such original design.
As we look further on the technical aspects of the film, the sound design and lighting both stand out nicely too. The cinematography by Justin Hunting does a marvelous job at setting the creepy atmosphere and the sound from Luke Hodgkinson only elevating that. The score by Flora Cheng as well works to heighten the atmosphere, while never being overbearing.
This is a great and quick horror film that is over in a flash but leaves a strong impression. This is not one to watch before going to bed.
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Cheers!
Daniel Hess
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