Short Film Review: "The Tattooist" (2020)
The Tattooist Short Film Review
Written by Stuart D. Monroe
Released by Scream Zone Beijing
Written and Directed by Michael Wong
2020, 1 minute and 20 seconds, Not Rated
Starring:
Wang Yanhu as The Tattooist
Lu Li as Platinum
Myra Mala as Screaming Girl
Chase Lichetenburg as Guy in Iron Maiden
Simon Shiyamba as Guy in Shackle
Maylea Magrou as Tied Up Girl
Dan Litza as Guy Behind Bars
Review:
In the world of the “micro-short”, you don’t need a long-winded synopsis or a lot of preamble to entice people and make ‘em beg for more. At least, you shouldn’t need those things. Clocking in at a scant one minute and twenty seconds, The Tattooist works both as a trailer for an as-yet unmade film of nasty potential and a reminder of how to grab somebody by the short and curly hairs for a minute or two.
The Tattooist has a seedy-looking shop that nonetheless is clearly the home of a top-notch artist. There’s one issue, however- beneath the everyday exterior lies a house of horrors full of kidnapped clients and torture victims. This is ink that you will definitely regret!
Opening with some jazzy-sounding big band sound, the mood of The Tattooist is light-hearted and fun. The shop’s pink and blue hue and beaded curtains promise a unique tattoo experience…until the mood changes and we’re shown The Tattooist himself wearing a yellow raincoat and splash goggles covered in blood as he tears through a restrained victim. The following scenes aren’t any less horrific- a young lady strapped to a chair getting her skull brutally caved in, bodies in tubs, gore-streaked people behind bars screaming for release. It’s clear that The Tattooist has been a busy boy. The return to some jazzy dancing shows us that he clearly enjoys his work.
I’m going to go out on a limb and say this tattooist enjoys his work A LOT.
And if you’re being honest with yourself, you need to see more of this guy’s world and how he does what he does.
The cinematic palette and presentation, along with the cleverly orchestrated musical choices and changes, prove that Michael Wong can put together a horrorshow that will match anything that you’ll find anywhere in horror, big-budget or indie. It’s a great looking short that instantly puts you in a bloody and unsanitary hell-hole while making you want a shower. There’s no skimp on the physical violence and bloodshed despite the micro running time.
In short, The Tattooist does the two things that a micro-short must, and it does so ludicrously well. It leaves you wanting more of the story, and it shows you that Michael Wong and company aren’t going to give you any amateur hour shit. As an added bonus, it also screws with you on the level of universal fear. After all, we’re supposed to be able to trust our tattooist implicitly. That tattoo you decided to get as a memento of your trip to Beijing could turn out to be the nightmare you naively believed was just the stuff of make believe.
I’m standing in line to watch that, folks. If a micro-short is a future film’s resume, then this one comes on some of that American Psycho-level card stock- bone with raised Silian Grail lettering.
Grade:
5.0 out of 5.0 stars
