Directed by Jarett Bellucci

Narrative Feature / UK / 90 mins

Strand: Screamdance

International Premiere / In Competition

Screening: Thu, 26 Sep 2019 20:15 | Fri, 27 Sep 12:45

Review:

Inspired by a shocking true story, SANDPAPER is director Jarett Bellucci’s debut feature. A gorgeously shot and deeply tense battle of wills, the film delves into twisted psychologies, lurking entrapment, and legal loopholes to deliver a thrilling investigation.

A kindly carpenter works on a deck outside the house of his recently divorced employer. The work goes as planned, but the carpenter begins to exhibit some peculiar traits. Nothing too out of the ordinary, but a little off-beat. Jarett Bellucci will slowly wrench the tension from this premise, revealing these eccentricities as evidence of a complex and devious personality, one which will put the protagonist in immediate and inescapable danger.

Most immediately notable is the film’s beautiful cinematography - Aleutian Calabay and Christopher Walters capture the sylvan domesticity of the film’s setting, only to later twist this wooded paradise into an isolated, domineering prison. The performances are also striking, particularly that of David Raizor, who plays the disturbed carpenter with nuance and depth - Howard is not a generic horror villain, but a fully-formed character whose motivations are various and conflicting. Lori Katz is excellent in the opposing role - while she is a victim of Howard’s proclivities, she nonetheless exudes a sense of determined resistance throughout. She will not be cowed so easily. An unnerving tale of southern hospitality turned on its head. / Review by Milo Garner

Trailer / IMDB

Credits:

Director: Jarett Bellucci

Producers: Christopher Walters, Jeff Williams, James Lumsden Cook

Executive Producer: Jarett Bellucci

Writer: Thomas Patterson

Cast: Lori Katz, David Raizor, Sage Croft, Kathleen Hands