You Can’t Escape (Reviewed by Lisa Marie Bowman)

Remember that old game where you would go up to a stranger’s house, ring the doorbell, and then run off?  It’s one of those simple games that really shouldn’t be that much fun and yet, strangely, it is.  The thrill of the game really doesn’t come from the fact that you’re making someone open the front door for no good reason.  Instead, the thrill comes from seeing if you can run away before that door opens.

You Can’t Escape, the latest short film from Rubbish Rebel Media, opens with a child (Rayce Zatye) walking through an apparently suburban neighborhood and doing just that.  He runs up to houses, he rings the doorbell, and then he runs off.  As he does this, we can’t help but notice that the neighborhood appears to be deserted.  Where are all the other people?  Does anyone ever actually answer their door?  From the way that the film is directed, we get the feeling that someone may be watching the child but who?

And when the child returns to his own house … well, I won’t spoil the film.  Let’s just say that it concludes with a surreal bang.

You Can’t Escape lasts just a little over 2 minutes and the end leaves us with just as many questions as answers.  That’s okay, though.  The key to horror is the fact that not all questions have easy answers.  Director Renner Zatye emphasizes atmosphere and, despite the film’s short length, he captures several uneasy images.  The scenes of Racye Zatye walking through that deserted neighborhood are undeniably creepy.  A scene where the child walks by several trees especially made me nervous.  This is one of those films that asks you to consider what could be hiding behind those trees and whether or not you’re ever as safe as you think.

You Can’t Escape should be getting a release in a few months so be sure to keep an eye out for it!