Serpent’s Lullaby (2014)

wihmHow do you stop doing something that’s in your nature? In August 2014, a women tried to live the life she was given after she had lost everything she cared for.

Directing this 13 minute short/drama/fantasy is Patricia Chica.

Starring in this short is: Jenimay Walker as Medusa, Annabella Hart as Young Mother and Richard Cardinal as Lover.

Little is known about the eccentric woman that lives in the old mansion just outside of town. Rumors surround the mysterious woman that few people have seen. Rumors like, she has a secret garden in the back yard of the centuries old mansion where her children are buried. Some people believe her to be nothing more than a grieving widow, while others believe… she’s a monster.

Come to find out, directer Patricia Chica is part of the Soska sisters Massive Blood Drive PSA (2015) anthology for the Women in Horror Recognition Month. For those of you that may not have heard of WiHM (Women in Horror Month), every February WiHM supporters host events (blood drives, film screenings, art shows), write blogs and articles, conduct interviews, and create videos and podcasts for mass consumption. WiHM is about expanding opportunities for contemporary female genre filmmakers and artists by raising awareness about the changing roles for women in the film industry. Since Serpent’s Lullaby is a part of this years Horror Happens Film Showcase (2015), which is how I heard about this flick, I was able to check it out.

Writer Charles Hall came up with a story that caught my interest. It takes a character from mythology and gives it a contemporary spin. Now, I have to say, I really liked the idea. It was nice to see a different take on the story of Medusa. As for the script, this one falls into the less-is-more category. They used very little verbal communication to get their story across to the audience. Instead they let the visual do most of the work. Chica lays everything out in such a smooth and entertaining way. I really dug how she even makes the little things, like a baby’s rattle, help tell a bit of the story.

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As for the playthrough, the pace of the film was a little slow to me, and given that it’s a 13 minute short it felt like it dragged a bit in places. However, by the end of the flick when the story is done, the bit of drag it had more than made it worth sitting through. Plus I dug on the transitions used from scene to scene.

I thought the visual makeup effects that Stephanie Miramontes did added a great look to the flick. Then throw in the cinematography work done by Richard Duquette, everything looked good and flowed well together.

 

Summary : It's a good short and if you get a chance to check this one out, you should.

It's rated UR (unrated) but has nudity.


Rating


Average

3