Director Patrick Rea’s tale of sibling rivalry and back stabbing that progresses well in to the supernatural is a devious and fun little short film that I enjoyed a great deal. It’s a sick and slick look at karma and really does build upon a slew of characters, all of whom are slimy and very much based on self-gratification and self-preservation, blood bonds be damned.
Sandra is a young woman whose horrible auto accident left her without her eyes and missing one leg. Anxious to re-claim her body and then some, she visits a local witch doctor, who allows her to switch bodies with her more well endowed twin sister Alexis. The doctor warns that the body switch grants the user every aspect of the individual. Including their imperfections. One of the great things about director Rea’s short films is that he always manages to have a twist up his sleeve, and “Counter Parts” really manages to supply two that work so beautifully in tandem that you’ll leave with a smile on your face.
Star Somyia Finley gives a seamless performance as these sisters, offering different quirks and body language among them, never missing a beat in creating personas that vary wildly, despite their similarities in appearance. The movie’s entire center piece revolves on whether Ms. Finley can pull off these performances, and she succeeds big time. The writing by Rea and Michelle Davidson really cements this short film as a wicked dose of greed and selfishness getting the best of a family, and it’s one that really felt like a nod to the classic “Tales from the Crypt” episodes. Fans of horror tales about comeuppance and blood feuds will enjoy what Mr. Rea and Michelle Davidson have to offer viewers.