Movie Reviews: Chattanooga Film Festival Short Films
Horror Fuel
by Joseph Perry
“Cruise,” “Exo Sapien,” “Smile,” “Sucker,” and “Red Is the Color of Beauty.”
Cruise
Once, many, many moons ago, I worked a temporary job at a call center, and it was the most soul-sucking employment I have ever experienced. Writer/director Samuel Rudykoff’s horror comedy Cruise ratchets up things to another level as his short sees employees at a scam cruise-contest call center lose their souls along with their lives if they don’t close calls successfully. Jake (Chad Andrews) and Mark (Simon Pond) both give it their best shot, with an unforgiving supervisor (Ray James) keeping a close watch. The performances are all super solid, and Rudykoff does a great job building suspense while delivering laughs.