Review: Val

 Text © Richard Gary / Indie Horror Films, 2021
Images from the Internet

Val
Directed by Aaron Fradkin
Social House Films; Dread; Epic Pictures; MVD Entertainment
81 minutes, 2021
www.epic-pictures.com
www.mvdb2b.com

If I may start with a digression, as a fan of printed text, having started my real-life career as a typesetter, I am totally impressed by the hard kerning of the “V” and “A” of the title, though I may have tilted the “L” towards the “A” at the angle of the “V” for consistency. Still, it’s a beautiful thing. Okay, end of digression.

So, when is a good thing too much, and the hunter-and-hunted game become reversed, where the person in charge finds out, well, their leverage is not as powerful as they imagined? It’s a premise that’s been around at least since “The Twilight Zone” episode with Sebastian Cabot, “ A Nice Place to Visit.” One could even include The Last House on the Left (1972; 2009) or even Straw Dogs (1971; 2011). But it is the supernatural element that takes it to the next level.

Misha Reeves

In this very dark comedy, criminal-on-the-run Fin (Zachary Mooren), looking like a French Adrian Brody) breaks into the enormous house of the titular Val (Misha Reeves). To start, the power dynamics, of course, are on the side of Fin, knife in hand and threatening scantily-clad redheaded and cleavage-bound Morren.

Val makes her living as a dominatrix, and when Freddy (Erik Griffin), a gangster-type John shows up, things do not go down too well. But will he stay down? Figure it out yourself, or better still, just watch the film. Meanwhile, the relationship between Fin and Val don’t exactly heat up in that way, but the dialogue is quick and witty, with Val trying to charm and assert (as that is her profession) and Fin is untrusting but despite weird and unexplained things happening around him, Fin doesn’t seem to question too hard about the unnatural stuff going on. Perhaps it is Val’s seductive tone (and attire) that are distracting. Most of the plot is the rapport, good and bad, about them that is the core of the film.

Zachary Mooren

While no particular religious denomination is discussed, the central theme of the film is about the Biblical question of whether or not we have free will, as much as what/who is good and what/who is evil. Fin is coerced more often than not by certainly more than one character, but is that still a choice?

It also uses a very colorful palate that increases in intensity as the story unfolds, especially highlighting on reds, with Reeves’ hair and lips being the central focus, most of the time.

Kyle Howard, Reeves, Sufe Bradshaw

It is hardly surprising that this is a comedy and the timing is so sharp since many of the cast are actually comedians and have a history of comic acting. Some of this comes across especially in the scenes with the two police officers investigating, level-headed Office Daughtry (Sufe Bradshaw) and her doofus partner, Officer Myers (Kyle Howard).

The set for most of the shoot is actually a supposedly haunted mansion in Ojai, California, that was both rented by-the-day, and also served as a place to stay for the cast and crew. Fradkin uses the space incredibly well, making it feel expansive for Val and claustrophobic for Fin at the same time.

There are some nice extras on the Blu-ray, starting with the “Behind the Scenes: The Making of Val” featurette (7 min.). Led by both the director/co-writer, Fradkin and the co-writer/executive producer Victoria Fratz (an engaged couple), it is short and sweet, and more importantly gets the job done. They talk about the production jointly, from how they came up with the idea through pre-production and then the filming itself. It is light and fluffy, and enjoyable.

Next up is a Q&A let by Josh Milligan after the online premier of Val on “Popcorn Frights,” from Dread Central’s channel (40 min.). Via Zoom, it includes Fradkin, Fratz, lead actors Reeves, Mooren, and stand-up corpse, Griffin. There are lots of good stories about the production, though not much about the plot, but since so many of them come from world of comedy, the talk flows well with humor and good heartedness. I also found it interesting that initial filming ended three days before the COVID lockdowns in March 2020.

Also included are two of director Fradkin’s shorts, “Happy Birthday” and “The Ballerina.” I have seen both of these before on YouTube and was very impressed. They both center on obsessions with mirrors and human frailty. I especially liked the latter. Lastly is a couple of trailers for this film, and others for Dread, as well as chapters and a choice for English subtitles.

While playing with comedy and high drama, the acting is (purposefully, I believe) a bit intense, sort of like watching a sit-com style of over-emoting. Not to the level of “Third Rock From the Sun’s” John Lithgow, but the characters are intense and it is played up for humor, and that is nearly a hamming situation.

Please, do not get me wrong, this is an incredibly fun film, from beginning to end, whether you see the ending coming or not. It also has some of the best use of mannequins I can think of since Exhumed (2011).