Herman's Cure-All Tonic (2008) - Short Comedy Horror Film Review

At my work Christmas party I was sat next to a lady I had never spoken to before, and getting onto the subject of horror films she mentioned that Ari Aster's short films were worth checking out (Aster being the director of Midsommar and Hereditary). I wasn't even aware he had made any short films, so I was eager to give them a view. Herman's Cure-All Tonic was Aster's directorial debut. While rough around the edges, this avoided the stale pitfalls that many short horrors fall into.

Guy Perry stars as Harold, the new manager of a pharmacy that his father Herman (Sam Wilson - Casino) used to run. The place was known for a popular cure-all tonic that Herman had created, but customers have complained ever since Harold took over that it doesn't seem the same. One day, noticing Herman leaking a green fluid out of his belly button, Harold decides to bottle it up, and inadvertently sells it to a customer. He is surprised when the next day the customer returns, overjoyed with the effects of this new 'tonic'.

Kudos goes to this short for not feeling the need to end on a silly jump scare ending. Instead, the short has a very weird vibe, best shown with Perry, whose bizarre chemist role reminded me of Crispin Glover crossed with a skit from dark sketch show Jam. Being from 2008, the quality isn't fantastic, it could just be the version I watched however, as I'm not sure it was from an official source (though can easily be found on YouTube). There is none of the horror that Aster became known for, instead this opting for more of a gross angle, with the screenplay coming from Anayat Fakhraie.

Being the first of eight short horror films that Aster directed before launching into his successful feature length horror film career, Herman's Cure-All Tonic was interesting to see where he got his start. Even here, as rough as this felt in spots, the directing was good, and some interesting angles used, such as the reflection in a pair of glasses and the view from a curved mirror. I look forward to watching the rest of his short films.

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