The Tattooist

Today we live in a day and age where the plot of a film can be condensed into a trailer and in such times, what if the film was the length of the trailer? Something Michael Wong has taken to heart with his micro short THE TATTOOIST.

Running in at just 80 seconds, there's a lot to digest. Is everything real? What's the narrative? Wow, did that just happen? All valid questions the quick cut film sees the audience asking and yet not letting them go long enough to miss the next frame. THE TATTOOIST is an interesting short, one that has no narrative yet gives enough away to allow the audience to make up their own mind. Does the latest customer become a victim of a sadistic human trafficking/torture network? Is the ink supernatural? Is this trauma bought on by the tattooist? Who knows, but one thing is for sure, in between the manic screams and sound akin to TETSUO, there is much more to uncover here that begs more to be seen of Michael Wong.

There's plenty of gore, and close up horror within the short, that unlike most movie trailers, this one perfectly balances itself between leaving the audience wanting more and enticing them with the fragments of a story yet to be told. We really do hoe to see a longer cut of THE TATTOOIST, something that feels very unique for the horror genre between the neon lights and blood drenched clientele held behind cells, there's enough mystery here to keep the momentum going for something special which is at the grasp of Wong.

The Tattooist follows the dark obsessions of a tattooist whose studio is acclaimed for its exceptional and intricately crafted tattoos. Those who receive his prized masterpiece are drugged, imprisoned, and then forced to fight their fears in a race against the clock to escape. Can they escape or will they become victims of The Tattooist?

The Tattooist trailer is beautifully shot and packed with imagery that teases of an extreme horror film and an extremely beautiful film. Unlike many horror movies, writer/director/producer Michael Wong's The Tattooist draws from a large pallet of colors while simultaneously showing brilliance in its use of color overlay at key moments. The pink glow of the neon sign and the black light lit laboratory are unmistakable and will resonate with fans of artistic horror.

Indie filmmaker Michael Wong transitioned to Indie films after 16 years as an ad agency art director and creative director, and his artistic abilities are clearly on display here. It's little wonder that he won more than 50 awards for his work as art director and creative director. Wong's work on ad campaigns for companies like Mercedes-Benz, Unilever, Johnson & Johnson, and Samsung honed his directorial eye and gave him an edge when entering filmmaking.

According to his biography, Wong "is the kind of collaborative thinker who's especially good at expanding on little thoughts and turning them into big ideas, with a strong and steady eye on making the work look and feel fresh", and this is undeniably evident in this 1:19 second trailer. Though brief, The Tattooist trailer is skillfully made with a clear understanding of the art of crafting a film as well as the needs of creating a story that captures the audience's attention. Beautiful cinematography and a series of shots that almost but not quite reveal what's in store for the eponymous antagonist's victims leave the viewer wanting more. Extreme gore in general and torture porn in particular often get criticized - even by fans of the horror genre, but Wong's vision is tantalizing in its brevity.

Malaysian-born Wong made his directorial debut in 2015 with The Story of 90 Coins, a short drama romance about an aspiring fashion designer who must betray herself and break a promise in order to realize her dream. The Story of 90 Coins made the film festival circuit, garnering over 60 awards or accolades, including Best Direction and Best Cinematography at Malta Short Festival, Best Drama and Best Cinematography at Los Angeles Film Awards, and Best Foreign Short at Los Angeles Independent Film Festival Awards. Though I'm not fond of romances, I'll definitely check out this 10 minute short purely to see more of Wong's work.

In addition to being nominated at many horror and independent film festivals, The Tattooist was an Official Selection for Midwest Horror Fest 2018, HorrorHaus Film Festival 2018, and Summer Scream Fest 2018. It won the Independent Horror Movie Awards (Aug) 2018 for Best Editing and Best Gore, Most Terrifying at Top Indie Film Awards (Aug) 2018, and Best Trailer/ Teaser at the Independent Shorts Awards (Aug) 2018.

Here's hoping Michael Wong's The Tattooist gets the backing because this is a horror movie we all need to see.

This 1 minute 20 second "short" from director Micahel Wong is really more of a trailer or a proof of concept for a longer piece than it is a standalone film. Story-wise it has all the trappings of a standard horror flick - a deranged killer, pleading victims, and a tattoo parlor that hides a sinister secret. While the short itself lacks a narrative, it provides the viewer with a glimpse of what could be coming should Wong create a longer piece with these characters.

What sets this piece apart is beautiful cinematography while in the tattoo parlor set. A bright pink, purple, and blue color palette is a stark contract to the gray and brown of the Tattooist's industrial torture chamber. In these segments the camera is constantly moving, mirroring the energetic groove of the jazzy soundtrack. Unlike the generic industrial sets of the torture area, the shop feels fresh and full of possibilities for a vibrant environment for a longer piece.

I would surely check out a longer story with the characters from this short, but my hope would be for more of the bright colors and energy of the tattoo parlor and less of the standard gore from the torture chamber.

Thinking about getting a tattoo? Maybe you should watch The Tattooist first. Lasting a mere 1 minute 20 seconds including credits, this micro-short film takes you on a quick tour of a tattoo parlour on an ever-swerving camera under a lot of magenta lighting that foreshadows the blood-red visuals to jump out at you before your next breath.

Unsuspected customers are taken prisoners, drugged, tortured, mutilated, dragged by the hair across the floor. If you have the stomach for movies like the Hostel and Saw series, this one's for you.

One can't expect a very, very short film to dig into a deep narrative. Credit to director Michael Wong that under these limitations he has managed to build a kaleidoscope of disturbing imagery soaked in saturated colours that seem to bleed together to create a mosaic of visceral horror.

There's much we don't know. Who's this tattooist, why is he doing this and who are his victims?

This much we do know: The Tattooist functions as a trailer, a tease, an appetiser. It's a trove of ideas waiting to be fleshed out into a longer feature. There's no shortness of technical and visual confidence from Wong and his team. The mood and energy captured in a minute is a promise of sinister playfulness that will appeal to fans of the genre.

In this micro film, Wong shows us shots with great aesthetics, beautiful colors and lights accompanied with funky and cheesy music, that, at the end, is just a trick of a more deep, dark story. With just a little more of a minute, Wong is capable of disturbe us, and yet, making us want more.