It’s not hard to step outside and see how we as a society are becoming more and more attached to our devices. Xingyu “Harry” Chen and John Thompson delve into this phenomenon in their horror short Attached.
Theo is a college student struggling to attend his classes because he’s consumed with his cell phone. He’s either chatting with friends or playing online games. Then one day, he notices his finger becomes stuck to the screen to the point that he has to rip it off, taking the tip of his finger with it. Not even the excruciating of a missing fingertip will stop Theo from being on this phone, and that’s when his “attachment” to his phone takes on a whole new meaning.
“…he notices his finger becomes stuck to the screen to the point that he has to rip it off…”
First, let’s address that Attached is a low-budget indie film made by emerging filmmakers Xingyu “Harry” Chen and John Thompson. The quality of the film and acting is good but a bit rough around the edges, as indicative of most new filmmakers. The film’s inherent weaknesses come in its lack of resources in high-quality cameras and professional lighting, sound gear, and really expensive make-up effects. Yes, more money would have helped, but Chen makes the most of what’s available.
Where Attached shines is its simple story. In their brief ten-minute short, Chen and Thompson takes the inarguable fact that we spend too much time on our phone and slowly morphs it into a body horror short. This short film is all about this progression showing how we are becoming one with our devices while bringing body horror into the mix.
For screening information, visit the Attached official webpage.
