The one problem with movies, especially violent movies, that claim to be real (often using “discovered” footage) is that they often don’t feel right. That’s the case with “Sane,” a short film made up of edited video shot by two teenage thrill killers: 14 year-old Miles Rapaport and 17 year-old Keith Slater. They film themselves killing three people simply because they are bored, but there are some other reasons that could’ve caused their rampage (like guilt over repressed homosexuality, for instance) that are only hinted at during the course of the short. All of this footage is accompanied by a metal soundtrack to make it seem all the more shocking. Quite honestly, it doesn’t work.
There are some creepy moments here, mostly in the subtext, but the film tries so hard to go for the throat that it seems like the Cousin
Brothers are almost daring viewers not to believe it. Simple is better in these types of film, and that’s something worth remembering.
The back of the video box claims that this twelve minute short gave
“our country a lifetime of paranoia.” Not really. If anything, it produces more eye rolling than terror, though the little touches do get under your skin. For that reason alone, watch it. Just don’t expect too much out of it, and definitely don’t expect to believe it.
