Balancing the “show don’t tell” concept in filmmaking can be difficult but writer/director Ari Groobman threads the needle perfectly as he incorporates just the right amount of backstory to flesh out the narrative in Projection and the results are very compelling. When a young woman, Hayley (Preslea Elliott) is fleeing a difficult situation with her younger sister Katie (Mikey Gray) in tow she finds their new apartment less than inviting. Nevertheless, they need a place to lick their collective wounds and what starts as a tense, ominous situation quickly escalates to a surprisingly gruesome and brutal climax.

Groobman doesn’t need a lot of dialogue to convey the underlying messages about trauma, abuse, and the struggle to feel safe while judiciously laying the necessary foundation for an engaging story. I was absolutely in from minute one and would gladly have stayed for another ninety to see this idea fully fleshed out and expanded upon. Its abbreviated length still works as a complete experience and beyond the story itself there are many other aspects that work in concert to create a compelling film. The acting is great across the board and everyone feels exceptionally suited to their roles. Every scene is very well shot, the use of low-light, forced perspective, it all comes together beautifully and is capped off with some truly incredible practical effects that are sure to please any gorehound.

Now the question becomes “can a work of brilliance be undone by a simple mistake?”. The short answer is “no” in this case, but this genuinely excellent film is hamstrung by an error in judgment that taints the whole experience. Yes, despite making so many great choices throughout the process Groobman somehow managed to commit the cardinal sin of using the dreaded canned scream. Clearly the actors are more than capable of using their real voices throughout but in one key moment he decided to throw in the same bargain-basement “scream” noise that has been kicking around consumer-level sounds effects packages for decades.

It’s baffling because such a pivotal, emotionally charged moment is so thoroughly undone by this awful noise and there is no world where this otherwise incredible film isn’t better for removing it. The fact that this is a near-perfect piece of art is what makes this moment so much more noticeable but other than that it’s an exceptional work by a director I hope to see more of going forward.

Availability: Unavailable

Currently there is no release date for the film but more info can be found on arigroobman.com