“There is no terror in the bang, only in the anticipation of it.” – Alfred Hitchcock
Oliver Park’s “Vicious” is a masterfully done short horror film that’s light on the exposition but packs in a powerhouse of a fright. I literally flinched back in my seat while watching “Vicious” and it takes a mighty good horror film to inspire that kind of reaction from yours truly. “Vicious” is indicative of a major directorial talent and Oliver Park deserves to go on to a bigger cinematic career. I think he can deliver a truly excellent feature length horror film if given enough resources.
“Vicious” is set in middle of a night ona lone flat as a young Lydia arrives home. Something isn’t quite right though as her flat seems off, somehow. She inspects it while wielding a butcher knife defensively, and is relieved to find she’s in fact alone. Park gives us an inkling of what kind of menace is within this household only through a vague flash back that is also a dream sequence. When Lydia decides to turn in for the night, the lights begin flicking off in her house without her will, and soon enough she’s battling with whatever is in her house, desperately trying to keep the lights on.
Once Lydia submits and begins wielding the flashlight on her cellphone, “Vicious” reaches all time highs of tension and teeth grinding anticipation, that you almost don’t want to finish the film, terrified of what might unfold. Park’s direction matched with the absolutely ace editing, makes “Vicious” a beautiful and terrifying horro film that makes the character Lydia’s fight to keep her lights on absolutely life or death, and once Park drives down the knife on to the audience, its quite a whopper. “Vicious” must be seen to really appreciate the experience director Park allows the audience, and if you’re in the mood for short but scary yarn, “Vicious” deserves an audience, and Park should be recruited by a major studio to deliver the next horror classic.