If you stumble on the new film Confessions in Static, it’s important to know what not to expect. Don’t expect a typical found footage indy. Don’t expect a fully linear narrative. And don’t expect to have all questions answered.
None of those are among the goals the quirky flick sets for itself.
You will find some eerie psychological moments as the storyline unfurls, but pure horror’s not an agenda item here either. The dark implications and lingering chill are a by-product of what astute director Bob Freville (Thirst Trap) is going for with his equally astute cast. That’s a character-focused story woven around two sets of eccentric friends and the haunted Decker House, a nondescript dwelling on Long Island. Expect wooden siding and modest furnishings not dank shadows nor mansard roof.
The tale—billed as a dark comedy—gets its structure from police interviews with one group of friends, a “wolf-pack” with a lesson plan.
There seems to be damming evidence against them, but mostly off-screen detectives are interested in gaining perspective on why things happened to a set of victims. In not-quite-fully displayed crime scene photos, extreme brutality is suggested.
Led by the assertive and self-aware asshole Jason (Scott Dowd), the philosophical college pals now in their thirties, initially sought to scare a trio of ghost-busting podcasters for not respecting the history of the haunted house and former inhabitants.
The viewer learns more about their bond and their ideas about objective truth as interviews progress, intercutting POV-video captured by Danny (Jimmy Donohue), long-standing seeker of Jason’s approval.
He’s chronicled the relationships of himself, Jason, Alan (Matt Tanzosh), and the group’s sole female member Lisa (Mackenzie Keyes) for years. Footage includes possibly the nucleus of dark events at a funeral where Jason’s emphasis on respect hints at motivation for harassing would-be ghost busters.
To give too much away would be unfair because this is a journey of discovery, but as the two groups eventually interacted, creepy masked handymen are said to have arrived before dark deeds transpired.
Confessions in Static invites viewers to piece together events and explore the complexities of friendship, interpersonal influence and controlling narratives.
Nuanced performances contribute heavily to the success of the story both in producing the comedy and the darkness with subtle tics revealing much about the individuals.
Dowd’s given perhaps the most flamboyant role and runs with it. Keyes also is particularly textured as Lisa, crafty, frequently kooky and prone to get lost in the contents of her purse at any moment. “You can sell this on etsy,” she tells one cop as she offers a bit of throwaway pseudo-origami she’s twisted together at an interview table.
The podcasters (Brian Smith-Brecht, Nic Andrews and Katelynn Kennedy Staggs) are equally effective as film/theater nerds.
The term slow-burn is over used these days, but this is a deliberately executed film that builds its story in pieces without over explaining. It shows and suggests, and makes the most of disparate digital cinematography elements to deliver grim laughs and more depth and texture than anyone might be expecting.
Confessions in Static is available in an interesting package from the boutique cult movie label Janice.click and has begun streaming on the service Relay available via Roku and other platforms.
