The Buckshee Countess (2009) Online

A short film that crackles with suppressed tension, The Buckshee Countess is a Gothic thriller with touches of humour and dry wit. Shot in black and white and beautifully photographed, the film is set in a crumbling mansion, following a sinister Countess who imprisons her visitors. The film succeeds in creating an intense, fevered atmosphere with real underlying menace. The Butler prowls through corridors that seem like rat-holes, flexing his muscles. The impenetrable cellars hide the enslaved and the gardens contain a cemetery. The allegorical nature of the film is well-developed while the imagery is resonant and alludes to fairy-tales and folklore, like a bleakly comic Hansel and Gretal. Best of all are the touches of unexpected humour which allows the film to breathe. All in all an excellent short film, well worth catching.