I could kind of see where the film was headed in the first minutes, but that doesn’t mean “A Tricky Treat” isn’t worth a heap of praise. Director Patricia Chica delivers a fun and incredibly grotesque short film set to Halloween festivities that turn a classic ritual of the holiday on its ear. Or head as it were.
Set on Halloween night, a helpless man is strapped to a chair and proceeds to be decapitated. From there, “A Tricky Treat” is mostly a display of sick and dark humor with some incredible special effects. I found most of it to be sickening, which is a compliment, considering that’s exactly what Chica aims for. The production is all around top notch, with ace editing by Chica, who keeps the surprise very craftily in the dark.
All the while FX Supervisors Danny McCarthy and Henry Lipatov completely sell the disgusting finale with close ups of eyeballs, tongues, and the like. “A Tricky Treat” zeroes in on the ritual of a normal suburban family on Halloween night, and once Chica delivers the final scene, it’s a raucously funny and twisted pay off. “A Tricky Treat” is surreal, gross, and devilishly clever, and it’s a neat Halloween treat for fans of the holiday. “A Tricky Treat” is now appearing in various festivals across the country.