Police punishment is postulated by persistent pressure punctuated by apparent hypnotic paralysis or possibly possessed providing a personal perilous predicament.

Siren was the tenth short film presented at the Horror-Rama Film Festival. The Canadian short film starts with two women being pulled over by the police. It quickly shows their diametrically different attitudes toward law enforcement. The female officer starts by being a professional but soon has odd, inappropriate sensual requests. Things get weirder when the cop places them under what seems to be some sort of hypnosis. Will they fall for the call of the Siren?

Directed by Christopher Beaubien, he uses flashing coloured lights, blue and red specifically, to create a disorienting experience. This is accentuated by the use of shadows to effectively build suspense with a heavily stylized look. He uses close-ups to exhibit the invasive nature of the situation too.

Overall, this is one of the most strange of the entries so far. Stylish direction only goes so far if the script is lacking a cohesive narrative. The plot is paper thin, fluctuating between brief character development and surreal visuals. Several odd writing choices are made with little to no explanation. An ambiguous ending raises more questions than it answers too. While I applaud artistic choices in filmmaking and creative freedom I do believe a cohesive narrative is key for any film to be a success. This film isn’t without its merits, there just isn’t much of a plot therefore it feels like random occurrences strung together and everything that happens feels inconsequential. I do like how the title has multiple meanings though. It reminds me of elevated, experimental horror films like the more recent Mandy. It’s not for everyone. And remember, should flashing lights be put before substance?

Grade 4/10