Review: CANDY (A New Horror Short By Jesse Kozel And Sage Hall)

You know what I like? Candy! No not that kind, well yes that kind but I'm talking about the new horror short by Jesse Kozel and Sage Hall just in time for Trick 'r Treat season!

                     "Everyone has a sweet tooth"

Candy tells the story of a disfunctional family (mother and son) who have a very close and kind of weird reletionship, one that many of us have seen while visiting friends or maybe even "distant" relatives.

The story is a lot of fun with Marcus (Kozel) having his date Jenny (Jenny Beres, who also co-wrote the short with Kozel) over all to his mother Candy's (Hall) surprise.  As Candy surprisingly bonds with Marcus' new friend Jenny in the beginning, jealousy spews as he starts feeling left out and then towards the end certain words are said that Jenny simply can't take back, along with her mockery of the mother/son bond that is all so obvious and a little weird and that she will soon regret! There is a message here that simply says, " What's rotten on the inside is completely undamaged on the outside" which ties right in to Candy's love for baking. This sets the tone for you without ruining anything, sorry I can't tell any more or Candy might come get me! Well I can tell you there are worms!

Candy is shot in stylish black and white and set perfectly at Halloween time, reminiscent of Hitchcock with just hints of color showing through in certain scenes, such as looks being given, certain words being said and camera shots.  The chemistry between Hall and Kozel is near perfect in this short and makes their characters and this "unique" relationship totally believable yet kind of frightening.

With a running time of just over 8 minutes Candy is a fun and sexy watch, definately worth seeking out as it's making it's festival rounds and a perfect companion for the Halloween season.