Velma is a short fourteen minute horror that was written, directed and stars Scarlet Moreno. Described as a 'bloody feminist tale' and with a unique looking 1960's setting, this had a bright and distinct look to it. In terms of the plot, this was one I had seen in a similar style countless times before.
Moreno stars as Velma, a woman looking for love but constantly being let down by her dates who all only seem to want one thing out of her. She hopes that one day she will find the man who meets her dreamy ideals.
While I knew exactly where the story was going to go to, this was a delight to watch mainly due to the set design full of gaudy details. The short takes place entirely at Velma's expensive looking home, with the first half being a slow montage of various men shown partly out of shot arriving at her home and enjoying an extravagant meal with her, before she leads them off to the bedroom. The story is told by the silent on-screen sequences, with Velma narrating as if she is speaking to her diary. You get the impression she is after someone who doesn't just want sex, but wants a more meaningful relationship.
Around the halfway mark is when the montage stops and you get to see the whole process of her dates from start to finish. I enjoyed the performance of the lead, due to the male characters not having a voice and being ill-defined the focus was always on her. The sixties setting gave the short almost the feel of a fairy-tale, while the repeated 'Moon River' song that plays out was a perfect fit for the vibe of the short.
Velma is a visually engaging short that had a great blend of set and costume design. It might not have done anything surprising but this had style in spades, making for an enjoyable time. Velma had its world premiere at Panic Fest in 2022 and arrived on VOD on March 26th.
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