Musically maniacal methods manage mighty manipulative musings momentarily make many men maniacs maximizing more mayhem in the aftermath.

The Dead Record is the new short film by budding filmmaker Nate Thompson (Cult Affairs, The Cult Leader, and more). After seeing and reviewing Cult Affairs I was highly anticipating his next project. Does this hit the needle on the vinyl record or does it just keep spinning you right round, thats right, right round baby?

Thompson stars as Louden, a record store clerk who receives a mysterious record from a cryptic stranger (Kenny Urban). His friend Sammy (Dakota Musarelli) stops by as its after hours to chat while he closes shop. Sammy has to step out to take a call so Louden plays the record alone. That’s when he placed in a trance with visions of a Demon (Madeline Malice) coming after him.

Thompson does well at creating a tense atmosphere paired with spooky imagery. He also does well at building suspense. It starts off one way before changing course into horror territory. Different coloured lights implement the creepy tone of the environment of the dreamlike state. It distinctively separates reality from the other realm, avoiding confusion. I like how he uses long takes, tracking shots, and rotating movements to give a sense of the size of the store itself and to show the two guys are alone. He reminds me of a mix of Kevin Smith and James Wan with his visual style. Its like Clerks meets Insidious.

Overall, Nate Thompson is so good at showing and not telling. This is key to both filmmaking and storytelling. He’s such a visionary, putting much thought into how The Dead Record looks and it shows. It plays out like the introduction of a full length feature film that’d I’d be interested in seeing the rest of. The fact that he left me wanting more, yet again, says something too. He certainly hit the needle on the vinyl record. Im very excited to see his future endeavors. And remember, I’ve heard of losing yourself in the music but this is ridiculous.

Give it a watch for yourself below!

9 out of 10