Director Josef Rodriguez’s short horror film “Take it Back” feels more experimental than a narrative when all is said and done. Given its short run time and atmosphere, it could use a ton of exposition and about five more minutes of back story. That said, in spite of its inherent faults, Rodriguez is definitely on to something in the horror realm, as “Take it Back” is interesting and definitely creepy.
There isn’t much of a set up, but Rodriguez focuses on a young man who obviously took something that didn’t belong to him. When plagued with a series of calls and messages insisting he take it back, he realizes that he’s being haunted. Director Rodriguez definitely has some interesting ideas for the horror genre, and sets up some very good camera angles along with very sharp editing.
I also especially liked the big reveal in the finale. It felt very reminiscent of classic Japanese Horror films, and ended on an ambiguous note definitely hinting at something bigger than what we were watching. I’d like to see with director Rodriguez could do with a larger feature in the future.