Four Stories of St. Julian and Bloody Murder: A Movie Review by Michael Allen
The film is oddly similar in plotline to M. Night Shyamalan’s Devil, which was recently shown in theatres. Four and a half (a baby) strangers find themselves in a rundown graffitied elevator, where not everyone is who they appear to be. Sound familiar? Soon, cash, blood, body parts and other symbols of greed litter the chamber’s floor, as one man hopes to extract information from another man of buried booty. One innocent bystander relates a terrible story of trauma before showing why a mother should never be separated from her child.
For an independent film, the Four Stories of St. Julian is well-done and the use of one set, one time period, with a single premise is worthy of Aristotle’s three unities (unity of time, action, place). Surprisingly, this film flew under the radar and straight-to-DVD without telling a soul and the film is deserving of a following. There is enough blood for the gorehounds, enough intricate dialogue for the dramatists, and enough mystery and suspense for thriller fans. Yet, there is hardly a review of the film to be found anywhere. Seems strange, no?
All the basics of filmmaking have been achieved. The lighting is well done and interfered with during certain key scenes. The camera techniques are interesting enough for the enclosed space and all the dialogue can be heard throughout the soundtrack. While the budget shows itself in the lack of exterior shots, the film sets itself up to be a terse thriller, with some excellent writing. The lack of depth for the central villain is the only misstep and a common one for filmmaking of all sorts. The film is truly a horrifying and entertaining time.

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