Greetings All,

I had a chance to watch the independent film Unsheltered, and I wanted to share my thoughts. Before we get started, check out the following trailer if you haven’t seen it already.

Directed by Marcus Small, Unsheltered stars Raven Wynn, Caleb Martin, Chauntel Hall, Melina Kay, and Edgar Tomas Lopez.

In an effort to evacuate from 2017’s Hurricane Irma, five college friends go on a road trip to North Carolina. Things take a turn for the worse after a series of events forces the group to seek shelter in an airplane salvage yard. But instead of waiting out the storm in relative peace, the group spends the night fighting for their lives.

Upon doing some research, I found out that Unsheltered is Marcus Small’s debut film. And to be honest, he should be extremely proud of the work he’s done.

From the start of the film, the first thing that caught my eye was the rhythmic cinematography. Going from first-person camera angles to third-person, when done properly, can add personality to a story and personalize the audience’s relationship with the characters. Connect this to the rhythm of the plot, and it’s almost guaranteed to keep the viewer’s attention. Small and his crew did a phenomenal job with this.

In regards to the plot, it was well-paced and unpretentious, which is always a good thing in the horror/thriller genre. Unsheltered unintentionally paid homage to the classics of the past; certain scenes blurred the lines between Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Wrong Turn. This provided an air of nostalgia for the viewers, and it introduces a new audience to classic horror tropes.

My only critic is with certain beats of the story. Since there was a plot twist in the final act, I would have planted a seed in the first act, discernible or not, that would have hinted at the big reveal. Not only would that have made the story come full circle, but it would also make connecting the pieces to the plot a little easier.

However, if the plot twist and the ending is leaving the door open for part 2, then I understand why things were revealed as they were.

Overall, Marcus Small did a great job on his first film.

Grade of A

For more information on Small and Unsheltered, check out the official Facebook page and film interview. The film is available on Amazon and Apple TV.

Until Next Time…

(Sources)

Photo Credit: Facebook