Do horror films have to have a point? Yes, they do, which is why High Tea might leave you scratching your head. It’s about a girl in jeopardy who is told by her masked captor that she has three chances to roll the perfect joint. If she passes the test, she goes free. We don’t know how the girl got into this terrible jam. And according to the film’s summary, neither does she, although she never seems particularly confused about her whereabouts.
The guy holding her prisoner wears a metal mask and has a demonic bellow for a voice with a touch of asthma. He’s particular about how joints are rolled, according to the summary. We never learn exactly what he’s supposedly so fussy about, but the girl finds out that there are consequences if you don’t get it right.
“…three chances to roll the perfect joint.”
One strong point this short film has going for it is the opening sequence that offers a creepy view of a spider crawling on a slab of stone. It sets the right mood for a screamfest.
Perhaps High Tea is meant to be nothing more than a fragment of a horrible nightmare. It comes to an implied gruesome ending, although no violence is shown on screen. Or maybe it’s meant to be an homage to the director’s favorite horror flicks. Either way, it needs to have some of the details made a little more clearly.
High Tea (2017) Directed by Luke Meneok. Written by Luke Meneok. Starring David Kolenski, Courtney Make.
5 out of 10 Skulls and Crossbones
