Yeaagghewahh (Love Ya Face)

Let me take some time to review this one whilst it is fresh on my brain, no joke my absolutely favourite film of the 2022 competition so far, and an absolute shoe-in for the best Incredibly Strange award. It's also a bloody brilliant film.

Starting off with an ethereal romp through the park by a couple of happy go lucky adolescents, a really fantastic mystical tone was set early on with glints of dew and perfectly framed autumnal trees calling to mind BRIDGE TO TERABITHIA and THE SPIDERWICK CHRONICLES. Really technically impressive stuff presenting a sweet glance at blossoming young friendship and potential romance with sublime camerawork, editing and framing to convey the mis-en-scene at hand.

But somehow a fall, a facial injury and overbearing father leads to a fate worse than death for our would be Disney princess, who in a passing of time becomes less Rapunzel and more reminiscent of Mindy Clarke in one of my all time 90s films...RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD PART 3.

Yes, that's right, you see the previously mentioned disfigurement results in a quite ingenious rearranging of the deck chairs, and a fairly brilliant homage to a former 48 Hours national winner comes to the fore with subtitles for grunts.

Lost in the tangled madness of worms, obsessive watching of online French kissing and a father out to protect his baby girl at all bloody costs is quite a tender performance by her now grown up friend from yesteryear, who wants nothing more than to rekindle their connection with the girl of his dreams.

Good thing that security systems in New Zealand aren't all that, hey?

When a pony can't be found for a raging appetite, well let's just say that I literally yelled out "OH. MY. GOD!!!!" at the ending on this one. An absolute fucking all timer.

Story: 5/5
Technical: 4.5/5
Elements: 5/5
Overall: 5/5

Firstly lets just saw there is potential for a much longer film in this concept. Could easily see this as a feature film in many regards.
Tender moments from the dad character. Funny moments from the daughter. Heart breaking moments from the neighbour. so much packed into a short film.

Check out this film. The eddie page team have gone from strength to strength over the years. This years offering showcased a maturity in the way the story unfolded and with some great gross out moments to boot.