First and foremost, I have to say that this isn’t a feature film. It’s sort of like a novella for movies. It’s longer than most shorts but not a feature (which, for me, is at least 60/61 minutes). That doesn’t mean I wouldn’t recommend it, especially as it’s easily available (for now) on Tubi. I just wanted to put a flag up on this one as I don’t tend to review short films – there are just too many and I’d rather focus on features.
That out of the way, let’s get to it, eh?
XIII is the story of two friends given a school assignment to make a film based on a book. The two young men decide to avoid the obvious and to look a little deeper for something to adapt. While at a library looking at older books, they turn their attention to the local history books and find one that someone has scrawled their own messages in. Done in a childlike manner, the scrawlings are curious enough that the men decide to check it out and try to investigate it. They are able to suss out what the drawn symbol in the book means, and they believe they have cracked code in the book that tells them a location that isn’t that far away. Too curious not to pursue it, they head out to see if they can find some answers, never imagining what they are really going to find.
The big selling point here is the acting. The two actors have great chemistry, and their friendship feels real and natural (at this level of filmmaking, they may well be friends, which shows if that’s the case). With a very slight story, the film then becomes about the journey the two friends take. The movie does a great job of building tension and as they come upon an abandoned structure and begin to investigate it, there is a genuine sense of dread that builds until the end. The filming is done well and it doesn’t break any of the cardinal rules of these types of films, which is great.
The big issue with the film is that with its slight length, we don’t get enough background to build any fear up and there are no real explanations to anything. It’s just a thing they are looking into and what happens happens.
Ta-da!
It’s a bummer because, at 45-ish minutes, it’s within spitting distance of a feature, and that 15 minutes could really have built the tension and background up. Ah, well, so it goes.
I appreciate that at the end, during the credits, they try to show that something was perhaps lurking nearby for the whole film (ala LAKE MUNGO), but it doesn’t work that well. AND, PS, there’s a scare that I am sure wasn’t intended when they are looking up some stairs, and you can JUST see someone peering down at them before they quickly move away. I am certain it was just someone that was on scene with them and checking to see if they were there, but, phew, I had to go back a few times to make certain what I had seen.
Overall, it’s a fun and creepy movie. With the slight length it’s worth a look. The premise is interesting, the tension is well earned, and the set-up is good. I wish it had more to offer but this seems to be what they were aiming for, and as such, is successful.
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt12675460/
2.50 out of 5
(Dinged it a little because I just remembered that all of this footage would have had to be edited together by SOMEONE (or THING?) to be discovered because it is from several sources and formats. And DARN IT, I remembered another thread left dangling in the film, still, it’s fun).
The Spooky World of Chris Ringler 