REVIEW: Jennifer Help Us

- By @TheBlueTook

Many full moons ago, when The Slaughtered Bird was still cutting its gnashers, Aaron Mento’s Standards Of Living was one of the first films sent to us for review. Filmed entirely on an iPad, it was a revelation for me, and the format was something I thought the indie film scene would soon be flooded with due to the sheer volume of wannabe filmmakers who already had a pretty decent camera at their disposal, without having to shell out for expensive recording gear. Since then, however, nothing. Not one. There may be some out there (and I’d bet decent money there is) but I haven’t personally seen any… until Mr Juan Ortiz got in touch and gifted me his debut feature, JENNIFER HELP US – made with an iPhone 4S and $1000!

As the art of filmmaking evolves, I try to adjust my critical checklist accordingly. Of course, it’s important to make sure each artistic attempt is judged independently of its peers, as all have their own unique, creative obstacles and circumstances to overcome, but it’s also human nature to compare, so I was a little worried Ortiz’s teeny-tiny flick wouldn’t have enough about it to fill 7 minutes, never mind 70!

5 minutes after pressing play, basking in the harsh retro glory emanating from the opening titles and pounding score, not only did I not give a fuck that I was consuming footage and sounds captured on a phone like mine, there also wasn’t many instances throughout the whole runtime to REMIND me that I was!

JENNIFER HELP US begins with a high-school kidnapping and quickly develops into a gritty, haunting slasher, summoning the vicious past of a quiet town’s ‘haunted’ house. As a throwback to the classic grindhouse films of old, it’d be easy for this to look cheap and nasty for all the wrong reasons (factoring in the miniscule budget, the cast and crew’s inexperience, and the knowledge that the grainy, worn look was created using an iPhone app!), but instead, director Ortiz and cinematographer Kaman Burger have somehow managed to make this look luxurious and rich – each scene framed and beautifully lit – while taking extreme care to ensure the old film stock composition really looks authentic. Shit, we’re even treated to the occasional ‘damaged’ scene and screen burn! But it isn’t all style over substance or clever tech tricks, as all of this is perfectly balanced with breathtaking wide-angle distance shots of silhouetted characters and horizons. On reflection, I can’t count how many times I turned to the wife, film paused in mid-scene, baffled, and bawled into her face “HOW THE FUCK HAVE THEY DONE IT?!! TELL ME!!!” (it’s OK, she loves me)

With a lean runtime and minimum dialogue, Ortiz has tried his damnedest to make sure everything flows, and it does for the majority, barring a few awkward moments which occasionally feel quite jarring and force the film to release its grip on you. But I’ve no doubt this will improve with experience, as will the cast, who on the whole do a good job and don’t detract from the overall heavy, foreboding atmosphere as our killer becomes more prevalent midway – often stunningly captured in profile against glaring backlight, gracefully yet ominously moving into shot, equipped with Wicker Man-esque head equipment! - and I’d be very surprised if the director isn’t a big Kubrick/The Shining fan, judging by some of his setups here. High praise indeed!

As mentioned, the score is mind-blowing. Thanks to Brennan Booth, Jason Burger and Clay Gootgeld, each twist in mood or change in pace is punctuated by a simple yet striking synth chord that builds, and has the ability to comfort and unsettle horror veterans in equal measure. Also, try whistling the trailer’s disturbing tune to yourself when you pop upstairs for a piss without checking over your shoulder for a sinister blade-wielding bastard!

Vastly entertaining, hugely ambitious and (even considering its minor flaws) 100% successful. Put JENNIFER HELP US on your ‘Must Watch’ list and think again before you assume everyone using the camera on their iPhone is an arsehole.

@TheBlueTook