Pandemonium was written and directed by an artist named Quarxx. It is about Nathan, played by Hugo Dillon, who has to come to grips with his death and judgment after a tragic car accident. At least that’s what I thought it was about until I found out this was an anthology. Let’s break it down!

Story 1A: I don’t believe these segments have conventional titles. I’ve labeled them in a way I hope benefits my talking points the most. This is the story of Nathan and the man he crashed into, Daniel, played by Arben Bajraktaraj. They try to adjust to the fact that they’re dead, and they face this fact in different ways. The juxtaposition between these two characters offers the meat of the story, and it’s a compelling dynamic because both of their reactions are equally human. As it progresses, the stakes are raised, but this isn’t a suspenseful tale as much as it is a thoughtful one. The setting is a snowy mountainside, and it looks fantastic. They capture the natural beauty of the mountain but add a layer of the ethereal to it, so it feels like a “between” place. The dialogue is probably the best of the segments. The CG effects are pretty good, and they work because of how stylish they are.

Story 2: This story follows a young girl named Nina, portrayed by Manon Maindivide, and her misadventures with her friend, Tony the Monster. This one is on a completely different level. The setting, the imagery, the editing, and the cinematography all work together to create something visually fantastic. The concept, the way it’s explored, and what it’s exploring are all very interesting to watch. It looks like a children’s fairytale, and it’s the darkest segment in a movie exploring some very dark subjects. Manon Maindivide does a great job. The after-effects help create this fairytale aesthetic. This is the first time we see extensive practical effects work in Pandemonium, and they’re very good.

Story 3: Julia, portrayed by Ophélia Kolb, finds her daughter dead in the bathtub. This one is grounded in almost every way. It doesn’t look as pretty as the other two segments and its topic is more relatable. I think it was a good decision to keep things simple. I think it heightens the impact of both the death and the cause. There are very few effects here, just good acting and good dialogue.

Story 1B: The focus is back on Nathan, and it’s judgment time! Visually, it’s a great segment with some strong imagery. The practical effects continue to be strong. Tonally, things go askew. We’re introduced to the character of Billy, and Billy’s performance is not like anyone else’s in this segment or Story 1A. It gets fairly exaggerated and contests the tone of this overall story. Not only that, this feels like a beginning as opposed to an ending. One can argue that may be the point, but the way it’s done isn’t satisfying.

The first half of Nathan’s story feels like it’s playing with ideas it doesn’t fully explore. The second half of Nathan’s story is playing with plot points it doesn’t fully explore. Together, they feel like half a movie. That makes Pandemonium feel like half a movie with two shorts thrown in to compensate. This is the thing preventing it from achieving greatness.

8 out of 10