12 Kilometers

First off, the marketing was amazing. I am not big on short films but this was perfect. No fluff. Lite backstory...really wild. Usually a movie is 50% Bs and this jumped right into it. The visuals were crazy. The fact that is was in subtitles and the character sounded and spoke a foreign Eastern Block language....it gave me the feel that it was some backwoods griming Russian basement which was very wild. The filmmaker sucked me right in and I couldn't wait to see what the heck was going on. Not only that but the way you had to search and hear from the filmmaker to watch the movie was really cool. I feel like I am invested. I really enjoyed it.

Mike Peccis 12KM is an atmospheric spookfest that harkens back to the days of showing less and telling more, and man is it spooky. I don;t know what it is that;s 12km's down that hole but it scared the hell out of me. The story and acting are amazing and the cinematography is beautiful, reminiscent of The Thing and Stalker. This short film is a must see and I'm hoping hollywood takes notice. 9\10

I agree with alot of the reviews around what was done so well in this film so I would like to critise constructively as all my love for this film is highlighted by others.

The sound design and sound track at the beginning was very clear and loud at times which distracted me. Alot of the film I thought would be executed better if more of it was silent. Mostly I was not sure if what I was hearing was soundtrack or diegetic sound effects and part of the narrative.

The protagonist was unclear as I had impressions that the man we followed until the end was the antogonist. With a farely confusing but beautiful finish.

The cutaways by the microscopic photographer were beautiful with a War of the Worlds feel however I felt there was too many and got distracted.

I love the auteur feel you have to your films and the film sucessfully carries out an aesthetic and mood to it.

1. The concept of "sound of the earth" is really cool and interesting, a tv series could definitely be based off this. It's a shame, but also an opportunity, that the viewer is left wanting more of it. It's a bit like the old myth of the sirens/mermaids luring sailors to their death with their singing. In 12KM's case this idea is brought to the next level, not only this sound can influence people's will-power, but it can mutate their cells genetically and it also has a physical manifestation: a black liquid/goo.

2. Which leads me to point 2. I have been extremely frustrated by the 2 recent Venom movies. They could have benefitted so much from a similar cosmic horror perspective! As some fans might remember, venom symbiotes react to sound as well. Unlike the black goo from 12KM they are afraid of certain frequencies; but if that is the case, wouldn't it be possible that there could be a sound that might empower them? 12KM would make such a thrilling origin story tv series for Venom. Not only it would sell a lot, but it would become a psychological and cosmic horror classic!

I'm sorry Mike if this review sounds in any way superficial, but I did really enjoy your work and I'm sure it can e developed in so many creative and amazing ways.

This short is a true work of art. It's a fresh, original idea sprung from great influences. I had watched the trailers and seen the promos for this but it doesn't prepare you, unlike most modern movies that give it all away in 2 minutes. From the start this one gets under your skin, you're thown into a plot you just want to know more about. The score is fantastic, achieving it's goal at providing tension and unease. Performances are top notch, from snarky to conniving to emotional, it's all there. True professionals made this one, and it deserves a full length release. I can't wait.