The new film from Exiram Productions, Hybrid Hazards, blends music, murder and more in this indie horror short. Directed and produced by Alexis Ramirez, and written by Kayla Cooper, the film opens with a performance of actress Julia Davolio’s song ‘You’. Playing Lacy, the lead singer of the band, Davolio performs to camera and creates a strong, grounded beginning. The original song really adds to the authenticity of the performance and you quickly find yourself singing along.
The rest of the band (Jesse Choy and Peter Sansky-Traficanti) are starting to get a little fed up with Lacy’s overbearing mother, Megan, who insists on texting her constantly. Is this your typical worried parent, or is something more sinister occurring?
The three head over to where Lacy’s mother works, under the impression there might be some work for them there. However things aren’t as they seem; something strange is amiss. Megan doesn’t seem too happy that her daughter is dating fellow band member, Ned (Jesse Choy).
From here the tension builds and things unravel quickly. Lacy and her mother are, in fact, not human. When provoked by the sight of Lacy and Ned holding hands, Megan (Stephanie Falciano) transforms into a terrifying cat-like creature. Lacy quickly follows suit. The special effects make-up is impressive, adding the horror element to the film with competence. Credit to Samantha Mileski for achieving this eerie, but also quite unique look.
A chase begins: Lacy’s mother takes after Tim while Lacy herself is predisposed ‘turning’ Ned so that they can be together forever. The music in any horror film is often key to the effectiveness of what is happening on screen, and the tense sequences in Hybrid Hazards are certainly amplified by the music of Joe Kowalski.
There are some instances where a lack of attention to detail mars the effectiveness of the film. For example the opening scene with the performance from the band. Even if the actors are unable to play instruments, having guitars with straps would allow the actors to hold them properly, immediately making their miming much more convincing. Fixing small things like this really helps give a film a polished veneer.
Nevertheless, Hybrid Hazards is a good team effort, bringing together different filmic disciplines under the direction of Alexis Ramirez.
Watch the trailer below!
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