Written and directed by Eric Garcia, ‘Araniella’ is a short sci-fi horror film that delves into the illicit export of a deceased body by two rogue morgue workers. The film stars Scotty Walker as Harvey, the headman of the operation, and Aaron Ramos as Ferris – Harvey’s anxious sidekick. The narrative, which takes place in a grubby motel, follows their intended trade-off of the body for financial gain – but the master-plan buckles when the body resurrects. A sluggish tale that fails to enthrall.
Throughout the 20-minute film, which could’ve been condensed in half, focuses on Ferris’ hesitation and fear – in spite of Harvey’s authoritative assurance. A twist to the tale gears the narrative in an unexpected genre-bending direction, that woefully disappoints.
Eric Garcia had good intentions with ‘Araniella’, but the lack of creative ingenuity in character development, dialogue and structure seals its fate – concluding with an unfortunate anti-climax. High praise is due for make artistry, Katelyn Casey’s stirring, albeit unforeseen performance, and reasonable cinematography and post-production.
Regrettably, Scotty Walker and Aaron Ramos fail to deliver credible portrayals – predominantly due to puny dialogue exchanges. The “horror” lacks audience trepidation – a principal objective that seams to be overlooked. If the timeline was substantially compressed and a suspenseful “horror-like” soundtrack introduced, this film may have some legs.
