Thumb Review

Thumb is a 2021 short film directed by Alexandra Pechman with writing from Kate Adams and Alexandra Pechman.

A uniquely original take on a horror story, Thumb has some solid moments but is let down by a few problems in the execution.

The biggest internal debate here before writing this review was what exactly felt off about the film. The look is certainly there, the overall story that builds the world is excellent, but something mainly in the acting just didn’t click. The tone just struck as uneven, with each emotion feeling a touch exaggerated. After that, especially in the film’s midpoint, things just never felt as engaging.

On the bright side, though, the film opens with a wonderful one take shot that is a completely organic visually driven introduction. Cues like that are always appreciated and it would have been great to see a bit more of this tactic used in the piece.

The creepy atmosphere of the film shines through very well even against the high key style of the daytime, with the ghostly monarch of the estate making sudden appearances in the background or reflections without so much as a musical cue or hint of them being there. This is another excellent visual decision that the short handles wonderfully.

The dialogue as it is written too is charged and interesting, coming from a place of depth as this creepy world of a now deceased artist surrounds the two people closest to her. The relationship explored between these two might be a little stretched given the age gap, but it is nothing that out of the ordinary either.

Overall, Thumb certainly gets significant points for having something new in the story department to the table and starts off really strong. By the end, though, things don’t quite come together as well as they could, leaving for a bit of a hollow experience. Still worth a passing go though, especially if you are a fan of all things horror.

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This film was screened as part of the 2021 Fantasia Film Festival.

Cheers!

Daniel Hess

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