Some films, no matter if features or shorts can make indelible impressions on you, so when a filmmaker’s next project comes around you immediately look to seek it out.
During a previous iteration of the Soho Horror Film Festival, we got to see filmmaker Thom Hilton’s haunting but expertly crafted Synonymous With, which turned out to be one of the highlights of the festival.
Now Hilton is back with a follow-up Matinee Baby, an outlandish black comedy sprinkled with quirky characters that feel firmly routed in genre or plucked out of the mind of John Waters.
It’s this off-kilter but thoughtful narrative which sets Matinee Baby on its way, but ultimately this short is about the life and experiences of two cinema workers at the renowned Clinton Street Theatre.
Hilton’s characters are a bit weird but this makes them compelling, their world is slightly off-kilter but this fits with some of the scenarios and conversations they are part of. They are just living their lives in this weird and messed up world.
Matinee Baby is a richly textured world that begs for more exploration.
Matinee Baby screened as part of Sohome Horror Pride 2024.
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