We are constantly looking for new and different films when it comes to bringing you the best in genre entertainment. Short films are often where you find the most exciting new filmmakers taking chances, yet most audiences don’t seek them out. With that in mind, we will be showcasing a short film each week in an effort to give a signal boost to shorts we enjoy.
There is something both appealing and deceptive about the simplicity of MISTER POPULAR. Writer/director Charles Mayforth gives us the high school archetypes of the popular jock and the loner seen as a weirdo, but presents the jock in a slightly more sympathetic light than most films and the loner in a more sinister manner (while still treating him with empathy). While the film eventually reveals itself to be straight up horror that may or may not take place in one of the characters’ heads (complete with a gloriously deranged and funny ending), the fact that Mayforth takes just enough time to set up his two main characters as slightly more than they initially appear is appreciated and causes the visual punchline to hit that much harder.
–Matt Wedge (@MovieNerdMatt)
Tags: Charles Mayforth, High School Horror, Mister Popular, Short Film of the Week
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