By Becca Johnson August 24, 2024
Directed by Michael Turney and starring Andrea Figliomeni (Magazine Dreams) and Chrystal Peterson, 'Video Vision' is described as ‘queer romance meets retro-tech body horror’. It centres on a woman who unlocks the dark dimension of Dr. Analog through an old VCR, whilst navigating a new romance with a trans man.
The production company behind 'Video Vision', Less Tech More Life, produce unique genre films that are ‘not afraid to tackle sensitive and complex topics with insight storytelling’, and that’s exactly what 'Video Vision' delivers. Superbly acted with fun tech aspects and interesting dialogue, 'Video Vision' is an entertaining watch that despite occasionally fumbling its message and horror, still provides plenty to chew on.
Review
Tech horrors are becoming all the more common due to the increase of technology in the modern world. What gives 'Video Vision' edge is that the evil is transmitted through old school tech - a VCR. This allows for a really unique setting in the digitising facility, and makes for some absolutely astounding visuals once the technology becomes more prominent. Despite taking a while to get going, there is plenty of intriguing cinematography during the third act that fully immerses the audience into a video game-like setting - it’s worth the wait. The original score is also fantastic in creating this digital atmosphere, feeling very reminiscent of retro game theme tunes that will can all still hum years later.
Our villain ‘Dr. Analog’ doesn’t get as much screen-time as we may have liked, but when he is present through use of creepy make-up and an inter-dimensional nature, he is certainly unsettling and makes his presence known. The majority of the horror on display is delivered via gore and body horror, from lead character Kibby’s eyes turning fluorescent blue to seeing her coughing up VCR tape. The body horror on offer is few and far between and often seems like an afterthought, which is bound to un-impress some, as 'Video Vision' is clearly more invested in it’s discourse. That being said, it’s certainly unique and has plenty of ick-factor when it occurs.
With a particularly small cast, 'Video Vision' rides on two central performances - Andrea Figliomeni as main character Kibby, and Chrystal Peterson as love interest Gator. The performances are really good, with the pair having decent chemistry and delivering their thought-provoking dialogue with ease. The issue isn’t with the performance behind Kibby, Figliomeni is great - it’s within the writing of the character, as she isn’t the most likable due to her attitudes towards Gator. She often doesn’t seem entirely comfortable with dating a trans man, often coming across as offensive with her speech. This leads Gator to think that Kibby’s foul mood, anxiety and nightmare-fueled sleeps are due to dating him, not the villain residing in the cursed VCR that seems to have a hold on her. Gator is a very understanding and patient individual, perhaps more so than he should be, so the constant mistreatment of him makes Kibby rather grating. Chrystal Peterson is absolutely fantastic as Gator, who takes on the role of informing Kibby about the trans experience very well. That being said, and as fantastic as Petersen is, it may have been nice to see Gator played by a trans man. 'Video Vision' is rightfully very sincere about representation, and telling an important story that sheds light on the experience and treatment of trans people, so it would’ve been worthwhile to see the representation reflected in the cast.
Blending tech horror with exploration of transgender relationships is no easy feat, and whilst 'Video Vision' does a decent job with it, occasionally leaving a little to be desired. What it does well is meshing the two together, with Gator describing the ‘shell’ of his identity in comparison with footage transforming from analogue to digital. The dialogue is often reminiscent of the tech focus within the plot and mirrors the horror story unfolding with Kibby and Dr. Analog, which is a really interesting exploration. However, on the flip-side, the constant mistreatment of Gator and Kibby’s attitudes towards him are very frustrating. There are a few memorable and heartfelt moments where we get to explore Gator’s sense of identity, but quite often it doesn’t add much to the conversation or offer much insight into the topic. Any trans representation is great, but the constant misunderstanding and borderline judgmental speech towards Gator is particularly grating.
'Video Vision' is the epitome of a middle of the road mixed bag. The retro-tech aspect is so much fun with intriguing visuals and a cool if underutilised villain, and it does a great job to blend this with the challenges and experiences of the transgender community. The performances are good, the dialogue is interesting and the score ties everything together in a nice, retro-style bow. However, it often misses the mark with its overall messaging due to a lead character that’s hard to get behind, and the body horror is too few and far between for gore-hounds to appreciate.
Star Rating
'Video Vision' premiered at Frightfest London 2024 August 24
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