Full disclosure, and in the spirit of transparency, I am a backer of JUDY's Indigogo campaign and as mentioned in the introduction I know the filmmaker behind it. I share this because I want to present an objective review of the film while also acknowledging that it's not easy to be objective when you are personally connected to something. All of this said, I loved JUDY.
One of the first things that stand out about JUDY is that you can tell it is made by someone who clearly loves horror movies. From the opening scene to some of the visual references JUDY is a veritable "I Spy" for horror fans. While this kind of homage can sometimes feel forced, in JUDY it is as if all of these inspirations were pulled together to create something uniquely different while also being iconically familiar. The influences of both classic and modern horror films are on full display here, embedded into the aesthetic and narrative in ways that keep the viewer engaged without becoming eye-rolling. These visual references never distract, and layered on top of them is a score that beckons to be listened to at maximum volume in the darkest of theaters. The synth score captures that unique 70s horror sound, with some added flairs of heavy metal. It's a delight to see and hear JUDY, and it's made even better by some really well-done practical effects that round out the back half of the film. It's always inspiring to see what indie filmmakers can do with small budgets, especially those who favor more make-up-based and practical effects over the simplicity that CGI can offer.
On a narrative level, it's hard to talk about JUDY in too much detail to avoid spoilers. While not much is really clear until the final minutes of the film, at no time did I feel like JUDY has lost track of its vision. It's a simple story that is told efficiently, and the 28-minute runtime suits it perfectly. I often bemoan the trend for shows and movies to run longer than they should, and shorts like JUDY are a great reminder that short films are like fun-size candy bars for horror fans. The only critique I had was near the end of the film one scene felt a bit extraneous, but it didn't detract from my enjoyment of the film at all and set up a really fun and killer ending. All of this said I could see JUDY being longer and going the full-length route, but it doesn't require it and is delightful as is!
