imagineNATIVE 26 FILM FESTIVAL REVIEW! What starts as amusement transforms into amazement in the tripwire surreal Canadian short John’s First Tattoo, written and directed by Jett Kowalchuk. John (Jett Kowalchuk) needs a jolt of excitement in his dull little life. He has been sketching in a notebook the tattoo he imagines will change everything for him: an uncoiling serpent. He heads out to a scary place to be tattooed by Atom the Artist (Riley Herridge), who is going to ink the snake onto John’s chest.
After being checked in by receptionist Candy (Meadow Taylor), John is led down a hallway to where Atom will do the deed. However, on his way, he sees some open doors with figures inside rooms. The silent figures all wear oversized masks, similar to those on Easter Island. John gets spooked, turns around, and runs back where he came from. Blocking his way is a looming figure in a very large mask, walking towards John, forcing him to turn around and walk back to the waiting needle gun…
“John’s First Tattoo gives an impression of expression that is by no means temporary.”
Kowalchuk films John’s First Tattoo almost entirely in a striking black and white. An exception is the round red lens Atom wears on one eye, giving the monochrome palette that splash of color just like Rumble Fish. Kowalchuk keeps it true to form by working in a ton of expressionism into every frame. If Fritz Lang did piercings instead of movies, this is where he would work. To take the Lang tribute further, there is no dialogue in John’s First Tattoo. The ominous feeling is legitimate, as the chest area John is getting his snake is the same place I got my tattoo of Linda Manz. Believe me, it hurts a lot on your tittie, though it’s worth it once the blood is wiped off.
The premise and initial moves in John’s First Tattoo set up what seems like a well-stylized gag, with a grotesque presentation of inner fear over initial body modification. But once the door closes behind you, Kowalchuk starts upping the ante. Once the oversized masks are introduced, the short goes from joke to something a lot darker and heavier. What started as something cute expands out into something cosmically scary, worthy of classic Stuart Gordon. By widening the scope from the initial setup, Kowalchuk has created a short that eats like a feature. John’s First Tattoo gives an impression of expression that is by no means temporary. Kowalchuk is a talent to watch.
John’s First Tattoo screened at the 2026 imagineNATIVE Film Festival.
"…expands out into something cosmically scary, worthy of classic Stuart Gordon."
