The Madman wastes no time getting to the heart of what’s at stake in this short film. A rookie detective investigates a report of an armed man in the woods. When he shows up at the scene, he encounters far more than he bargained for. If you think your job is bad, just be glad you’re not this poor guy.
Teppo Kauppi stars as Detective John Crogan. When he arrives near the woods, his squad car’s sirens flashing against the snowy landscape, he encounters a strange man (Max Fernandez) on his knees, clenching a book. The man warns the detective that he should just get back in his car and turn around. Boy, was he right. Though the stranger’s role is short-lived, it certainly hypes up the danger of what lurks in the woods.
From there, the short takes a rather shocking turn regarding the odd man, and to say the detective encounters danger in the woods is an understatement. It all leads to a rather shocking and grisly conclusion. In fact, the film’s ending is one of its strongest points and feels completely unpredictable. Another highlight is the film’s simple, yet effective location and setting. The wintertime creates a feeling of isolation, and woods, when used well, can evoke a sense of danger and the unknown. That’s certainly the case here.
Because this is a short film, there’s not a lot of room to explore some of the other elements. For instance, viewers will likely have questions about the man in the woods. As a character, he’s not given much detail. Yet, there’s a sense that there’s more going on with this antagonist, as if he’s something beyond a mere flesh and blood armed person. There’s plenty of feature-length potential here to explore this world and these characters more. Even the rookie detective warrants some more backstory and characterization.
The Madman is an intriguing little film that arrives at an unexpected and gruesome conclusion. Horror fans will definitely enjoy this one, even if the short raises more questions than it answers. Make sure to sit through the credits for some cool behind-the-scenes tidbits, too.
