A villain and a superhero take it to one another in the middle of the city. But there’s a twist; this fight is more than what you think.
Dark Specter (the villain and not to be confused with the Power Rangers villain) faces his rival, a beloved superhero, as they battle it out during a bank robbery. Although Dark Spector is committing a crime, it’s for a non-selfish reason. Dark Specter lives at home with his mother and takes care of her. His mother seems to be suffering from Dementia or Alzheimer’s and hopes to use the money from the bank to do bigger things for him and his mother.
The nine-minute short is a blend of comedy, drama, and action — all which done quite decently. The comedy comes during the fight between the two rivals, which gives the fight and short film a different tone rather than the typical comic character fights that just focus on good versus evil. The special effects used in the Dark Specter short can sometimes look a bit fake but can also look impressive at other times. I was more impressed by the use of special effects.
“…living with his mom was a funny twist, and then comes a dramatic twist that I did not see coming.”
When it came to the twist of Dark Specter living with his mom was a funny twist, and then comes a dramatic twist that I did not see coming. It gives the story some heart and also gives the villain some depth.
What a short should do is tell a cohesive story. Some short creators do not always seem to grasp that concept, but Bruce Nachsin and Richard Tatum do. The duo is able to tell a story within nine minutes which is not an easy task. It is a story that makes sense, and it’s the kind of story that’s not seen very often.
Villains have hearts too!
Dark Specter (2018) Directed by Richard Tatum. Written by Bruce Nachsin. Starring Bruce Nachsin, Mark Iverson, Judy Nazemetz, Kellimarie Brown, Kevin Flood.
7 out of 10
