FILMMAKER
Grimmfest says: Ruthless ambition, repressed memory and reckless substance abuse collide, with catastrophic consequences, in this frenetic, high-octane fusion of Jay McInnerny and Edgar Allan Poe; a manic, macabre and mordantly witty modern-gothic spin on the Yuppie Nightmare narrative, it balances savage social satire with a sulfurous study of self-damnation and the corrosive power of guilt.
"Sandra Mhlongo as the lead is phenomenal. Sinister and stoic she commands each scene with her unflinching glare. I wouldn’t mess with her for any amount of money. One Bad Night is definitely more of a western thriller than horror, but the grittiness alone allows it to sit amongst NFF’s other more traditional horror fare. If you’re a fan of films like No Country For Old Men you will want to seek this short film out."
"Director Alec Gibbons heads up the episode with One Bad Night, which spins a revenge tale about a mysterious woman (Miss Sandra Mhlongo) who wakes up left for dead in the desert and makes her way to a small town to pay a visit to those who wronged her. It kinda reminded me of Kill Bill: Volume 2 without the snakes and kung fu. It’s great!"
The script for One Bad Night came to me all at once and I quickly wrote it down. A year or so later I got the time to shoot it. What was clear in hindsight was that this script touched on many genres I love, such as crime, thriller, westerns, and horror (with its supernatural elements). An especially big influence was westerns, specifically of the spaghetti and Australian outback variety. Paris Texas was another influence. For my lead actress Sandra and I, our main point for the lead character was to show her focus, determination, and all-consuming intention to complete her goal despite a series of enormous challenges. From a filmmaking perspective, I was especially focused on letting the cinematography and acting do the work, which is why there are a lot of one-shots and very little dialogue. Yet it was ultimately very important that the short pack in action, suspense, and mystery as well. All in, I thought my actors were great and my crew was fantastic as well and I’m very proud of all their hard work.