“The true way goes over a rope which is not stretched at any great height but just above the ground. It seems more designed to make people stumble than to be walked upon.” Franz Kafka
The title Poison insinuates an everlasting sense of despair. Agony in its purest form. A place where death finds thrill in toying with the fate of two differently vulnerable people.
The premise of the short film is centred around the domain of fear. Fear that kept Darnell trapped with invisible shackles and a definite trepidation.
The movie is about Darnell. He is an apprehensive young man. He is at the receiving end of an unhealthy and violent relationship. He questions the nature of his turbulent relationship with Donna, his abusive girlfriend. They have been together for three years. Three years that were evidently far from being all sunshine and rainbow.
One night things take a dire turn as he returns home late after hanging out with his friends. Darnell’s world threatens to crumble in front of his eyes as he makes a critical decision.
Darnell’s fate assumes the role of poison that would torment him eternally.
A plethora of themes have been explored in the movie. The first being the theme of doubt. It is obvious that Darnell spends his time in countless contemplations about his relationship with Donna. His scepticism about the purity of their relationship increases by the day. Darnell is founding meandering in a state of turbulence internally, despite being in an otherwise comfortable space around his friends.
In due course of the movie it is revealed that Donna and Darnell share very little love for each other. They are stuck within an ominously violent mess with very little chances of survival for either of them.
Poison would raise an interesting argument about the role played by freedom in any relationship. Freedom that precedes honesty, dignity and respect. Freedom is that rare entity in Darnell’s life that has thrown him down a rabbit hole of trepidations. Here however liberation is found in the all devouring gates of death.
The presence of a potent sense of entrapment is evident in the movie. It makes the movie darker. Fear and strife take the narrative forward.
Donna and Darnell represent two contrasting poles. However tragic it might seem both of them are trapped in the labyrinth constructed by their own demons.
Death however towards the end of the movie doesn’t act as some kind of release. It acts as the most potent trap that relishes the defeat of its victims.
The impeccable performances of Corey Davis and Aleasha Burgess make the narrative more intense. They successfully bring out the violent tension between them and eventually the dire consequences.
The technical aspects play a major role in the movie. The presence of the colour red suggests danger and perhaps consequences a little too bleak. Darkness in the movie represents the lives of the lead characters, the nature of abuse and the painful outcome.
Poison is a must watch for lovers of thrillers and cinema in general, alike as it discusses a plethora of important issues without losing any thrill from the story told in layers.
