In Deranged Foxhole Deduction, viewers get a glimpse into the life of a man who’s lost his grip on reality in Johnny Delmonico (John Calavanico). Johnny is not the most hospitable of hosts, but despite his disheveled appearance and suspicious demeanor his guests feel compelled to step inside his apartment. Once they do, however, they never leave.

Here’s what’s fun about this short film:

• It’s unsettling. Calavanico does a great job of making Johnny out to be a real creeper, and the supporting characters’ discomfort is felt by the audience as well.
• There are some humorous moments and a couple of one-liners that made me chuckle. I won’t share them here because it’s a short film and I’d like to avoid any further spoilers.
• There’s a mix of human horror and supernatural elements. Is Johnny the only monster in this film? Viewers might be surprised to find out what follows his crimes.

Those factors aside, several areas of Deranged Foxhole Deduction were lacking. One of these is special effects. A bit of makeup and gore could’ve taken the story to a more believable and entertaining place. However, this was made on a small budget so I can understand why it’s lacking. One piece that I feel could’ve been better despite the budget was the acting. Most of these characters fell flat for me aside from Johnny. Their reactions just didn’t’ seem believable considering the circumstances, and that took away from my viewing experience.

The voiceover at the end was a great way to wrap up and it left a sense of eeriness behind. This left me wondering what Johnny’s past was like leading up to the start of this. While I was left wanting more information, overall it was an underwhelming experience for me.

I like the storyline but would like to see it fleshed out a bit more in a longer format with more time for character development. That being said, my curiosity would lead me to check out a sequel or even a prequel to Deranged Foxhole Deduction if they ever came to be. Just like short fiction, short films can be tricky as there’s less time to tell a story and to make all the pieces fit. Give it a shot below!

4 out of 10