I recently rewatched this -- the first time since the wonderful H. P. Lovecraft Film Festival in 2019. I loved it then -- it was one of the best shorts of the festival -- and I love it now. I'm familiar with very little of Ligotti's work, so I came to this one without preconceptions. First of all I adore the whole spooky old-time carnival vibe of the whole film -- think "Something Wicked This Way Comes", "Are You Afraid of the Dark?", Alice Cooper playing live in a fun-fair, etc. It's beautifully filmed, and the attention to detail is astounding. I can't help but wonder how much it cost, how long it must have taken to create it from script to final cut, the hard work and sacrifice that must have gone into it -- it's a true work of art. The psychiatrist is commanding and charismatic (though a little... ...inappropriate? Monotonous?). "Naked Lunch" vibes! The boy actor is excellent. There are so many great little details throughout, though I'm not going to list them all. The Showman himself is truly creepy, disturbing, unnerving. "Jacob's Ladder" vibes throughout.
