Just South of Hell

Just watched this film and loved it. Jessica Felice made the character come to life for me. The story plot says a lot about our society in not just the Civil War but all wars. We make the same mistakes again and again. I enjoyed the fact that it was all taking place as a reverse story line and the fact that I never would have seen that coming, yet in hindsight it all made perfect sense. The use of light and the music in the film was a work of art which added the perfect touch to the plot. Would love to see what this director could do on a feature length film with a full budget. I loved the part when Bella states that she also fell from grave and the look of sadness and shame on her face. It landed a humanity to the devil not often seen. Makes one wonder what this Director could make us feel if he told Lucifer's story of his fall from grace.

This was an amazing story and took you on an incredible ride. You could really feel what the characters were feeling.

Period movies are always a challenge to get right, especially on a low budget film. Costumes are expensive, writing believable dialogue appropriate to the era is challenging, and finding a cast that bring it to life without pulling you out of the film is a major challenge.

Just South of Hell manages to get all of these things right.

The dialogue is surprisingly on-point and feels very natural to the 1860s. The cast acquits themselves very well, each turning in a solid performance. The strongest link in this sturdy chain is Jessica Felice as Bella, whose command of voice, accent, dialogue, and even the subtleties of her performance, really elevates the film.

That's not to say Samuel Foster or Mike Sutton aren't as compelling to watch (they absolutely are), but Miss Felice is definitely a show stealer, especially as the film approaches its climax.

Do yourself a favor and check this out. It's low price-point on Vimeo is a steal.

Fisrt of all, the look was near film noir adding a certain creepiness to it from the begining. Jessica is supurb in this short, and Shawn's presentation very Hitchcockish in its unfolding. It's not just a film, it's an adventure in psychology. Spellbinding.....