Emily Robyn Clark’s Love Spell is a short film made for fans of romance and fantasy during the medieval period when the craft of magic was still in effect.
Love Spell shifts between the past and the present. In the past, Queen Isabella (Ischa Bee) is having an affair with one of the King’s military leaders, Claudius (Stephen Harr). News of the affair gets to the King (Dale McKeel), thanks to Everaro (Everett Spencer). The King forbids the Queen from using magic ever again, while Claudius is discretely dispatched in the woods.
Jump to the future, a newlywed couple, Georgie (Mikayla Iverson) and Aaron (Noah Kershisnik) are starting their new life together. As in all film relationships, the pair begin drifting apart almost immediately as Aaron would rather hang out with his bandmates than help Georgie decorate their new home. Aaron begrudgingly agrees to go antiquing with his bride as Georgie finds an old mirror (the same one the Queen used for magic). Soon the tragic love story of the past transports itself to the present—all thanks to several talismans spread throughout the film.
“News of the affair gets to the King…[he] forbids the Queen from using magic ever again…”
Love Spell finds itself bringing together the worlds of fantasy and horror, albeit light horror. The short does an excellent job of blending the past and present love stories while adding supernatural (horror) elements to it. It’s not frightening, but uses shocking images of the ghosts of the past and a few supernatural images with low-budget indie techniques. In fairness, I should mention this is an indie film and the filmmakers were resourceful and managed to make a fantasy film with what was at their disposal.
If I could make one change, I focus on the story around the three talismans: the mirror, a cross, and a ring. Build the story around these three items as its mystical connection between past and present. Doing this would elevate the overall tale above a traditional narrative.
Love Spell plays out as the unfulfilled love story between the Queen and Claudius in the past and their attempt to find closure in the present using our young lovers as a conduit. Emily Robyn Clark makes a good attempt at telling a medieval love story using elements of horror and the supernatural. Clark and crew do excellent work finding creative ways of pulling off her special effects with a limited budget. Honestly, a larger budget would have meant authentic costumes and sets, but in the end you’ve got to make your movie with what you have.
"……an excellent job of blending the past and present love stories while adding supernatural elements…"
