As Halloween approaches, we might find ourselves wondering how a Celtic winter festival with all its attendant beliefs in the ‘thinning veil’ and the temporary proximity of the dead has managed to hang on through thousands of years of Christianity, but hey – it’s a moveable feast. Depending on where you stand, it’s anywhere from: harmless entertainment for kids; a fondly-held Goth Xmas for horror fans, or deplorably commercial, but so long as you don’t count yourselves in the last category, you should find something to like about October 31st. Take The Left Hand Path is a short film which splices the whole modern incarnation of Halloween (e.g. the Halloween party) with older beliefs in the unquiet dead, coming up with a funny horror-comedy skit which has good performances and lines which really work, together with a more sinister note running through it, too. If I wasn’t told by the press info that it was put together by Eulogy Media – who have mostly specialised in metal promo videos – and directed by Hal Sinden of the band talanas – then I wouldn’t have much trouble joining the dots, and that’s meant as a compliment. The film wears its heart on its sleeve.
In the film, two girls are on their way to a Halloween party but opt to take a short cut through Leaveslow Woods – a move which one of them openly accepts is a strange one on an evening like this, especially with only some glow-in-the-dark deely boppers to light the way. But as they make their way onwards, they are surprised to run into a girl they know, Nicola, who asks them for a light. It’d be odd enough, given they’re in the middle of nowhere, but it’s stranger still because Nicola is apparently dead. In fact, one of them went to her funeral. So what on earth is the…spectre of Nicola? Or a reanimated Nicola – doing out here in the dark?
They chat – Nicola is still Nicola, only on the wrong side of an autopsy – and they discuss what her version of the afterlife is like. Well, for one, she wishes she’d died with a lighter on her (which may be a nod to the same idea introduced in the afterlife in Beetlejuice – ‘If I knew then what I know now’…) But it turns out that the rumours which were flying around about her demise weren’t quite accurate. In fact, being dead is quite different to how it’s usually expected to be.
It’s a darkly comedic idea which riffs on commonly-held ideas about things like ouija boards, the afterlife, even God (apparently that’s not clear-cut, either) and in a few easy moves, delivered in a suitable and plausible kind of low-key British way, the film is able to build quite a lot of universe in its six-odd minute running time. It unfolds its details well and it’s punctuated with a lot of one-liners, some of which would perhaps make more obvious sense to metal or at least music fans (considering the impact of a hi-hat to the temple, for instance) but the film definitely makes you laugh, and it’s imbued with enough easy-going comedy about the whole Halloween thing to work for anyone. It makes good use of darkness and low light, too, as well as low-key performances which make the whole premise funnier through contrast. And then, it manages its far darker conclusion to bring us full circle.
Take The Left Hand Path is a light touch, dryly humorous short film which handles its pace perfectly for a short film format – it understands just how much characterisation and plot to balance against a good punchline. You could do far worse than queue it up for Halloween viewing or, if you fancy, watch it a little before the big day comes around. It will be available to watch from 19:30 (GMT) on Saturday, 28th October at this YouTube link, so set a reminder – and enjoy. Just don’t stand up too quickly, particularly if you’re anywhere near a drum kit. You never know what could ensue, though on the plus side, we might get a sequel.