Chelsea Lupkin
W
hile most horror films tend to employ jump scares or a heavy dose of gore, Sophie Littman‘s psychological terror Sudden Light treads into more experimental territory. Set against a backdrop of rolling hills in the English countryside, this surreal coming-of-age story explores the fear of oncoming loss, as two young sisters and their dog spiral into an unforgettable fever dream as they take a stroll across neverending fields, coming to terms with their impending reality. Gorgeously shot on 16mm film and complimented with incredibly moving performances, this uncanny tale is a hair-raising horror that will leave you feeling ill at ease and on the very brink of grief.
Littman, with the help of cinematographer Nick Morris, transforms familiar rural landscapes into a waking nightmare as two sisters, Mia and Squeeze, struggle to cope with their father’s rapidly deteriorating health. Between the Kodak 16mm film aesthetic and an edit that alters the character’s timeline and sense of space, Sudden Light is haunting eye candy. Make no mistake, this is a pretty film and in many ways captures the look and feel of a poetically adolescent indie, if not for the spiral that Littman induces in her storytelling.
In an article featured on Kodak’s official site, Littman says that she always wanted to shoot Sudden Light on film. “As so much of the storytelling blurs the line between Mia’s heightened mental state and reality, I felt that only film would give me that dreamlike quality and lend itself especially to the light and landscapes of our wintery locations,” Littman explains. Artfully unsettling, Sudden Light is the type of elevated horror that leaves a lasting impression.
The wintery Jurassic coast landscapes play a vital role in Sudden Light’s chilling atmosphere.
The shifting landscape and delicate use of the macabre plunge the audience into incredibly relatable territory: grief. Few films capture the distress of an unknown future or the fear of losing a parent quite like Littman has in this film. Actresses Esme Creed-Miles (Hanna) and Millie Ashford give such compelling performances that as the camera and scenery reflect their inner turmoil, we are thrust into an out of control limbo alongside them. With Sam Spruell (Doctor Who, Snow White and the Hunstman), who plays a sinister presence lurking on the edge of the woods, somehow becoming an eerie linchpin of doom, as we can only guess what his cryptic words might mean.
Shot over the course of four freezing winter days back in 2018, the production faced quite a few hurdles as it was shot in remote terrain, lacked long daylight hours, and had a dog in tow. Despite it all, Littman and her crew pulled together a beautiful film that went on to be in competition at Cannes, won the Grand Prix for International Short Film at the Cork International Film Festival, and was even nominated for Best British Short Film at the British Independent Film Awards 2020. Needless to say, it was all worth it!