WORM – Short Film Review

WORM is a very dark little drama that starts out innocently enough. Geoffrey Oswald Dodd is an average high school teacher, going through the motions with his students, secretly disgusted with the apathetic state of the young minds filling his classroom. What becomes increasingly apparent however is that Dodd’s true colors are far more sinister.

Dodd, played by Robert Nolan, rarely speaks outwardly in this 20-minute short. Instead, the audience is forced into his twisted mind through his thoughts, made audible by way of voice over. Normally, this is a tricky technique to employ, especially for the entire length of a film, but writer/director Richard Powell pulls it off with disturbing effect.

Initially, Dodd is presented simply as a disgruntled teacher who has lost his ability to inspire his students… then we sink a little deeper into his misanthropic thoughts and discover just how unsettling the situation has become. Externally, Dodd maintains a straight face, a friendly and pleasant demeanor, all of which is complete hogwash.

WORM is a film that uses the visual world to accessorize a point, whereas the heart of the story and the suspense lie almost solely on the voice over acting of Robert Nolan. This is a huge gamble for a filmmaker, but Nolan is able to construct the emotional roller coaster necessary in his voice and intonation, his dramatic exposition, that allows the audience to feel the discomfort intended.

Zach Green produced and edited WORM, which was shot on 16mm, so it has a textural feel to it than the digital medium we’ve become used to for indie shorts. Aside from one moment, where a creatively diabolical prop is utilized unexpectedly to create a heightened sense of pending doom, Nolan is the one weaving this Grimm-style modern cautionary tale, in collaboration with the filmmakers.

The most frightening thing about WORM, turns out to be the realization that anyone around us could, in theory, be a real life Geoffrey Dodd. This short film is great by itself, but it also begs for a feature-length version of the film, exploring the disturbingly unique and interesting character in more detail. I’m not sure if the filmmakers have any interest, but if they did… I’d certainly see it.