The storyline is about how a young boy who refuses to share sweets with his sister, and suffers consequences when his sister buys a voodoo doll. After she sticks needles into the voodoo doll, the boy feels such pain that he runs across the state lines of Louisiana, Alabama, Georgia to escape, but can't. All this time the girl keeps stabbing the doll to no end, until (after the credits) she throws it into a blender. We only hear the result of that, but it rather undermines the message of the short film.
It is difficult to make a running montage not seem either pre-rehearsed or nauseatingly shaky and real. Linh Thacher manages to balance that out in the cinematography and editing. I especially love the shots of the highway billboards announcing the boundaries of each state. The attention to detail to Louisiana culture, with the boy's fleur-de-lis baseball cap, is something that sticks out in my mind as exceptional. For a movie about voodoo, Louisiana is a great setting. My favorite location is the very colorful streets in New Orleans. The music by Vibe Mountain is a good choice for a film with no dialogue; the quick tempo keeps the viewer engaged. Another plus is that it does not sound like royalty-free music!
Audrey Linh Thacher directed, wrote and stars in Voodoo. Though only sixteen years old, she has a great camera presence and pulls off her role with ease. Although the last part might be because her actual brother plays her brother. Gavin Vu Thacher, much like his sister, acts with grace. I enjoyed Gavin's comedic performance, which is undeniably funny despite the drawn-out injury sequences. Vu Thacher's acting is also very believable.
The message of the film is to be kind to those dear to you and share. The film does show some negative behavior that is not addressed when the girl takes out her pent-up anger on her brother by using a voodoo doll and keeps stabbing it, ultimately throwing it into the blender. This is an unhealthy coping mechanism and a bad example for kids. It addresses the occult topic of voodoo, which may be an issue for some.
I give Voodoo 3.5 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 10 to 16, plus adults. Reviewed by Eshaan M., KIDS FIRST! Film Critic
The storyline is about how a young boy who refuses to share sweets with his sister, and suffers consequences when his sister buys a voodoo doll. After she sticks needles into the voodoo doll, the boy feels such pain that he runs across the state lines of Louisiana, Alabama, Georgia to escape, but can't. All this time the girl keeps stabbing the doll to no end, until (after the credits) she throws it into a blender. We only hear the result of that, but it rather undermines the message of the short film.
It is difficult to make a running montage not seem either pre-rehearsed or nauseatingly shaky and real. Linh Thacher manages to balance that out in the cinematography and editing. I especially love the shots of the highway billboards announcing the boundaries of each state. The attention to detail to Louisiana culture, with the boy's fleur-de-lis baseball cap, is something that sticks out in my mind as exceptional. For a movie about voodoo, Louisiana is a great setting. My favorite location is the very colorful streets in New Orleans. The music by Vibe Mountain is a good choice for a film with no dialogue; the quick tempo keeps the viewer engaged. Another plus is that it does not sound like royalty-free music!
Audrey Linh Thacher directed, wrote and stars in Voodoo. Though only sixteen years old, she has a great camera presence and pulls off her role with ease. Although the last part might be because her actual brother plays her brother. Gavin Vu Thacher, much like his sister, acts with grace. I enjoyed Gavin's comedic performance, which is undeniably funny despite the drawn-out injury sequences. Vu Thacher's acting is also very believable.
The message of the film is to be kind to those dear to you and share. The film does show some negative behavior that is not addressed when the girl takes out her pent-up anger on her brother by using a voodoo doll and keeps stabbing it, ultimately throwing it into the blender. This is an unhealthy coping mechanism and a bad example for kids. It addresses the occult topic of voodoo, which may be an issue for some.
I give Voodoo 3.5 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 10 to 16, plus adults. Reviewed by Eshaan M., KIDS FIRST! Film Critic
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