In Sean Cruser and Tyler Beveridge’s horror short, The Deep Vessel, Reggie (Tyler Beveridge), the manager of a struggling folk band, is desperate to take his band to the next level. With their sophomore album unfinished, their money gone, and morale at an all-time low, Reggie introduces the band to an ancient artifact once used by several now-famous metal bands, an artifact known as the Deep Vessel. The artifact is believed to provide the inspiration and power they need to complete their album.
At first, Daisy (Aisha Kumari), Marcus (Ed Ackerman), and Johnny (Murphy Martin) dismiss the idea, wary that meddling with something so strange could have dire consequences. But with their careers slipping away, the temptation of fame and success is too much. The consensus among the band is to open the Deep Vessel. In doing so, they unwittingly unleash a powerful presence—the Norse god Brage (voiced by Keith Szarbajka)—whose arrival promises everything they want…music that shreds…for a folk band.
“…they unwittingly unleash a powerful presence—the Norse god Brage…”
From start to finish, The Deep Vessel is a solid horror comedy. We’ve got a hapless band led by the even more hapless Reggie doing whatever it takes to become famous. In other words, they’re taking shortcuts. The heart of the film is the band’s interactions with the Norse god Brage. He has the band under his thumb, and they don’t realize it.
As a comedy sketch, the pacing is perfect, the characters are well-defined, and the ending has the perfect button. A lot of effort was put into the fi from the monster design, sound design, special effects, and some killer chords. The Deep Vessel is a fun rollercoaster ride for any short film festival.
For screening information for The Deep Vessel, visit the Vicious Frames Instagram Page.
"…a lot of effort was put into the film from the monster design, sound design, special effects, and some killer chords."
