Taking the piss out of Covid-19 vaccines (or not, in which case this review is null and void) Team Sonita threw the kitchen sink at Bill Gates and 5G, presenting a darkly comic world of pro anti-vaxxers where rewards for example were given for dobbing in neighbours trying to get cured by Pfyzer.

Playing like a cult or religious film, the church was indeed used as a cover for those renegades who might try to buck the norm. Also with everything upside down and the world going crazy, what's a little dog eating between friends?

Technically sound, with just some minor muffled audio, and with a well delivered script, this was an enjoyable short. I'm personally not the biggest fan of going extremely topical with 48Hours shorts but I'm not a judge so all power to you.

Story: 3/5
Technical: 3/5
Elements: 2.5/5
Overall: 3/5

I am proud of the feel good vibe and the lovely actors!

This was an extremely confident, technically impressive effort from Kratos of a chainsmoking blue collar worker losing their job through to a lack of attention before an opportunity comes for redemption and they take it fully gripped with both DIY hands.

What I really enjoyed the most about this film was the seriously strong performance of our lead protagonist. He really sold me on the true blue kiwi guy who works hard for his paycheck and enjoys a few durries in his spare time. This was done with commanding screen presence as the actor playing him really knew how to sell the rough around the edges but hard man so well through little physical inflections here and there.

Even the introspective looks on the beach played really well. In the hands of a less experienced team it may have played as unintentional laughs, but for these multiple Gisborne winners it genuinely served as a moment of reflection and realisation that our lead needed to get his life back on track.

The comedy was also right up my alley. Crude to an extent, and by all means I think this team saw that other teams got 'splatter' and their eyes lit up at the idea of including the genre they didn't get, but also having worked in building consents I can honestly say they absolutely nailed the venacular of how tradespeople speak.

I do think this would have gone close to making the grand final, though probably the big question mark/thing that held it back from top 15 was the extremely disturbing ending. Murderous revenge on hitmen as redemption? Questionable to say the least. Like if you google the word redemption you get "the action of saving or being saved from sin, error or evil" and I think the team ran with this whereas the organisers in the genre definition gave a definition that I felt was at odds of what the team went with "Not to be confused with the Revenge movie, redemption is less about getting even and more about finding yourself, forgiveness and/or growing as a person". Do we really see that growth for our lead? Not enough in my book and it does lean more into getting even given that those he kills have shot him in the foot.

Don't get me wrong, I really enjoyed the film but the genre intepretation was what held it back, for me.

Story: 3/5
Technical: 4.5/5
Elements: 3.5/5
Overall: 3.5/5

After a mysterious redheaded woman runs down a hall and climbs into a mysterious box, our film cuts to a picture of her being pronounced as missing and from there this film investigates her disappearance.

To me the best thing about this film was its wonderful ethereal musical score which elevated proceedings a lot in terms of tone. I also really liked the tracking camerashots that were particularly smooth for a 48 Hours film. The missing woman sold a sense of desperation as she ran down the hall and the lead actress delivered her lines well.

But for me personally the story was very light. I found the plot very predictable given the invisibility element the second that the woman climbed into the box, and did have my suspension of disbelief challenged when a school was effectively standing in for the 'neighbourhood' that the detective was asking around in.

Having said that, the ending was nicely done and left things with a satisfying conclusion that felt a bit like the Twilight Zone, redeeming a lot of the film.

Story: 2/5
Technical: 2.5/5
Elements: 3/5
Overall: 2.5/5

Oh, after rewatching this film my mind just got blown that Cowps Productions and HS Films are effectively the same team! Amazing work everyone, it is bloody impressive to make one film in 48 Hours let alone 2 finalists in your city so I tip my hat to you!

Hear we had the classic 48 Hours 'one shot' film as a newcomer to the town introduced himself to a woman and asked her if she needed help, before each character bonded with each other through their expository backstories.

Well done on your second place in Gisborne, it is technically impressive to pull off this sort of film, though I did notice several instances of wind warble on the soundtrack in the first half of the film. The camerawork was nice, and the film was cleanly shot despite being shot near sunset.

As a horror film it did not work for me, there was zero tension for me personally which I think is a must even in a subversive approach. A leisurely character piece that was more a romance than anything for 90% of the runtime could honestly not be further from what I would imagine for the genre. Personally even the ending was a bit iffy as it just seemed like a jealous angry boyfriend annoyed that somebody else come to his love's grave. Were there heavy hints of domestic abuse, and potentially murder? Yes, and this sort of topic could have hit so incredibly hard, but instead the 'shock' ending where you were supposed to piece everything back together didn't quite work for me sorry.

Story: 1.5/5
Technical: 2.5/5
Elements: 3/5
Overall: 2/5

I do appreciate that even after the 48 Hours Lockdown competition took covid-19 jokes by the scruff of the horn, shook them out until there was nothing left and then flogged the dead horse dozens of times there were still plenty of teams in 2021 who didn't give a hoot and went mad with covid/vax jokes in this year's competition. And hey, if your film is fun then it's fun.

Here our basic plotline was a pisstake house party where a vaccinated doctor starts having adverse symptoms, with flat earth and Gill Bates jokes thrown around left right and centre.

Strong performances, nice editing and the film looked and sounded great with particularly well done music. But that lack of originality was a bit killer for me.

Story: 2/5
Technical: 3.5/5
Elements: 2/5
Overall: 2/5

As newlyweds make their way to a rural bed and breakfast honeymoon treat, an obnoxious limo driver tries to get under their skin but they ignore the dickhead and instead settle in for a lovely celebration of their marriage with beekeeping, tennis and picnics. Only the Air BNB house is not exactly as he seems.

Firstly, good sound here including some really nice foley and from a technical point of view I enjoyed how you bathed every shot in sunlight where possibly, but your white balance was strong resulting in a warm fuzzy tone to the proceedings.

The performances were strong, selling the deep connection of the newlyweds just simply over the moon at having tied the knot. I also felt the host delivered an interesting slightly off-kilter performance.

The thing holding this back for me was a lack of dramatic urgency. Really enjoyable tone overall and some clever comedy, but even in the most lighthearted romcoms I do want to have a dramatic question driving the story because otherwise it becomes a little observational. I'm giving you an overall positive mark though as I personally enjoyed your film a great deal.

Story: 2/5
Technical: 3.5/5
Elemenets: 2.5/5
Overall: 3/5

air bnb host* not house*

Fun doing this -