DON’T MOVE(2013)

NAME:TWENEFOUR KELVIN 

INDEX NUMBER:BFAMP28012

GROUP:ONE(1)

         REVIEW OF A SHORT HORROR FILM "DON’T MOVE" (2013):

     “Don’t Move” is a gripping and terrifying short horror film that plunges its audience into a nightmarish scenario built on a deceptively simple premise. Directed by Anthony Melton and written by David Scullion, the film masterfully crafts suspense from the most fundamental human instinct: movement. The director of photography was Jonny Franklin.

  The story kicks off with a group of friends engaged in a seemingly innocent Ouija board session. As is often the case in horror, their playful foray into the supernatural quickly turns dark, and they inadvertently summon a malevolent demonic entity. The demon's horrifying rule is revealed almost immediately: any movement, no matter how slight, attracts its attention and leads to instant, brutal death for the mover.

  This core principle sets up an incredibly tense and high-stakes conflict. The characters are trapped in a desperate struggle against both an external supernatural threat and their own primal survival instincts. Every breath, every twitch, every involuntary reaction to fear or pain becomes a potential death sentence. The film excels at showcasing the psychological torment of this situation, as the friends are forced to watch each other succumb to the demon's rule, unable to offer help or even flinch in response.

   

    The demon itself is effectively chilling, often appearing as a shadowy, monstrous presence that punishes any break in stillness with swift and gruesome efficiency. The special effects, particularly for a short film, are effective in conveying the horror of these fatal encounters.

"Don't Move" is a brilliant exercise in minimalist horror. It doesn't rely on complex mythology or intricate plot twists, but instead thrives on its central, terrifying concept. It explores the sheer terror of being utterly vulnerable and powerless, where the most basic act of being alive—breathing, shifting, reacting—becomes the very thing that will kill you. The film successfully builds a palpable sense of dread and claustrophobia, making viewers acutely aware of their own potential movements while watching. It's a short, sharp shock of horror that leaves a lasting 

 impression.

  

https://youtu.be/f9jd6lyGvMI?si=OPKNNMv9feVT76lN

The key crew members include:

   Director: Anthony Melton

   Writers: David Scullion

   Producers: Anthony Melton, Ben Franklin

   Editor: Ben Franklin

   Director of Photography: Jonny Franklin

   Demon Design/Creature Creator: Cliff Wallace

THE BREAKDOWN OF THE FILM BASED ON YOUR CRITERIA:

   1.Protagonist: The film features a group of friends, but the primary focus shifts to individual characters as they face the immediate threat. While there isn't a single defined protagonist in the traditional sense, the collective group and their desperate struggle to survive serve as the central point of empathy for the audience.

 

   2.Specific Objective or Goal: Their immediate and overwhelming objective is simply to survive the night without moving. They quickly learn that any movement attracts the demonic entity they have inadvertently summoned, leading to swift and gruesome death.

 

    3.Face of an Antagonist with a Context of Set Principles: The antagonist is a demonic entity, seemingly summoned through an Ouija board. Its core principle is a deadly reaction to movement. The demon's presence enforces a brutal rule: move, and you die. This principle creates a terrifying context where the most basic human instinct for self-preservation (flight or fight) becomes a death sentence. The demon was designed and created by industry legend Cliff Wallace.

 

   4.Willing to Struggle: The characters are unequivocally willing to struggle. Their struggle is not one of physical combat against the demon, but an internal and desperate battle against their own bodies' involuntary reactions, fear, and the need to react to external stimuli. They endure immense psychological and physical strain, attempting to remain perfectly still even in the face of extreme discomfort, injury, or the death of their friends.

 

   5.Situation of Win or Lose It All: The stakes are absolute: life or death. There is no middle ground; either they remain motionless and potentially survive until dawn, or they move and are instantly killed by the demon. The film is a relentless high-stakes game where every twitch or breath could be their last.

 

  6.Until Difference in Principle are Resolved: The "difference in principle" lies between the human instinct for movement and the demon's rule of stillness. This conflict is resolved not through negotiation or understanding, but through grim endurance or fatal failure. The film's conclusion (for those who survive) implies that the only resolution is the demon's departure or the complete incapacitation of its victims, rather than any reconciliation of principles.