Job interviews and auditions can be very nerve-wracking experiences. So, too, interviewing to land a show at an art gallery. It’s understandable, then, that the young woman artist (Heather Boblmann) is a little tense and nervous about her upcoming interview. While her antsy husband (J. Mathew Butler) waits impatiently, the artist sorts through her work, hoping to find the right combination of impressive pieces.
Finally, they arrive at the gallery in a seedy, dangerous looking neighborhood. She heads inside, jokingly telling her husband that if she’s not back in ten minutes to come rescue her. Half an hour later, and with his wife still not back, the man isn’t nearly as amused and heads out to track down his missing spouse.
Such is the surprisingly well crafted set-up to director Ramzi Abed’s simple but generally effective psychological horror short “The Interview.” This video, long on atmosphere and build-up, struggles mightily to overcome the perfunctory performances and abrupt, almost trite climax.
“The Interview” is a gloomy, moody video that would have benefited greatly from some fleshing out; explorations of the woman’s paintings, for instance, or more backstory on her silently brooding son Billy (Isaac Ublemann).
Still, Abed should take heart in the fact that his film leaves the viewer wanting more, unlike some films where those end credits can’t pop up fast enough. A few more solid pieces like “The Interview,” and he’ll be heading out on interviews himself for bigger and better things.
