Neither ne’er-do-wells nor nobleman, when negotiating the Inns and out of necromancy incantations, needn’t neglect naysayers necessitous negative connotations notwithstanding inconveniencing inconcinnity noncontingent of nihilistic nightmares.

Riven is a dark fantasy short film from New Zealand written and directed by Matt Inns. Set in medieval time, a man seeks help for his wife whom has passed away because reasons specified later. He finds a Druid wizard but is warned he has to let her go because she won’t be the same after the resurrection. To his dismay, the wizard agrees. That’s when things get interesting.

Matt Inns puts together a sufficient combination of horror and fantasy elements. It’s got a dark atmospheric tone with high tension instantly transporting you into another time. The way he shot the magnificent New Zealand landscape adds to the fanciful side of things. Adequate use of fog and smoke heightens the sense of dread. This would be a strong opening sequence for a full-length feature film. It succinctly characterizes the composition of man vs nature in a small amount of time. The possibilities of where this could lead are interesting.

Nick McGrath plays Medraut. He’s morose and silent most of the time but the captivating performance poignantly reveals his anguish through his wide range of expressions. Maggie Pirie plays Esyllt, his wife. She has a small, dialogue-free role but plays it effectively with powerful expressions too. Nathan Kennedy plays the Druid wizard with a great performance displaying nuances subtly like having advanced wisdom with a mysterious mystical presence about him. The way he delivers his dialogue for the spells is powerful, pun entirely intended.

The costume designs by Terzann Elliott are equally impressive as they are important. It’s crucial to convincingly if characters don’t have a certain look or feel to them that doesn’t match the setting it ruins the experience. The music is by Graeme and Juliet Woller. The strong score adds to the creepy aesthetic exponentially.

Overall, Riven is an exquisite fantasy horror period piece has well-rounded characters, an impactful plot, and excellent writing and directing. While it has the expected cliches of the fantasy genre, it subverts expectations so it doesn’t feel derivative. What could have been a generic short film stands out for these reasons. I highly recommend it and look forward to more from Matt Inns. And remember, if you love someone let them go, if they come back their yours…. unless they’re back from the dead of course. Give it watch a below!

10 out of 10