Wormhole

AWARD THIS! 2023 NOMINEE! When a woman (Every Heart) calls a man (Shane Ryan-Reid) on the phone and asks him to come and visit, he can’t refuse. As he happily obliges and they spend some time together, the walls begin to change. Wormhole depicts the woman and the man seeing their worst fears become a horrifying reality. Those phobias spring from the wall, hoping to consume them. The couple must find a way to face these horrors or be devoured.

Insane visuals bring this twisted story to life, and just like the characters, viewers feel sucked into something like a nightmare. The creepy, cringey look that transcends the entire film makes viewers’ skin crawl, keeps them feeling uncomfortable, and leaves them on the edge of their seats. Writer-director Sam Salerno keeps the movie flowing, constantly moving forward even when it seems that the narrative is at a standstill.

There’s no denying that, like the visuals, one of the leads is unique. Every Heart possesses a truly unparalleled aesthetic that, like her excellent acting, makes the performer perfect for the role. She fits into the aesthetic of Wormhole perfectly, and her appearance serves to strengthen the wacky visuals that fill the screen. What’s most interesting about the actor is that while her appearance may seem strange, her looks are most appealing. Heart is the emotional relevance that exists within this horror tale, and her impeccable talent allows viewers to see just how normal she is. Let’s be honest, no one is normal – and to be so is boring. Heart is able to express these sentiments while maintaining enough familiarity to have viewers connect with her.

“…depicts the woman and the man seeing their worst fears become a horrifying reality.”

The set design is simply spectacular. There’s only one other movie that I can remember, with such a low budget, in which the set designers were able to create something so wonderfully strange and accessible at the same time. There’s no other way to say this, but a giant vagina is the nightmarish creature that appears to Man. This is representative of how strange the 9-minute short is. Of course, the crew exaggerates the look compared to the real thing (including some specific and interesting details). The design doesn’t come off as grotesque or unappealing as it easily could have, but, rather, I found myself enthralled by it.

It’s obvious that Wormhole is one giant metaphor for the reality of realistic and unrealistic fears that we deal with on a regular basis. While the horrors Man and Woman have to face are embellished, the fact that they are steadfastly taking them on, in any capacity, is representative of what humankind experiences each day. The message Salerno conveys is touching, as he reaches out to viewers and expresses to them that they aren’t alone. He lets everyone know that the rest of the populous experiences fear just the same.

Early on, it was clear that I was in for a wild ride and that Wormhole would be filled with visuals unlike anything I’d seen before. However, those insane visuals quickly transitioned into something wildly accessible and brilliantly competent. The human psyche comes into play, and viewers are likely to see something that resonates deep within them. Both leads are brilliant in their performances, but Heart absolutely steals the show, creating insanity and relevance all at once. This is the strangest film that you absolutely have to watch.

Wormhole is a 2023 Award This! Indie Horror nominee.