Winner of the Steve Pearce Memorial Award at the 5th Wet Your Pants Film Festival in Indianapolis, for which I was a juror, Daina Papadaki's black comedy from Cyprus, yes Cyprus, is 15-minutes of delightfully fun storytelling with stellar lensing from D.P. Sofronis Sofroniou that perfectly complements Papadaki's melancholic yet humorous tones. It's always a bold decision to take a lighter approach to a potentially darker subject, but Papadaki's approach is one with a perfect touch in virtually every moment of the film.

In addition to its win at the Wet Your Pants Film Festival, 5 Ways to Die has picked up a slew of fest wins and selections over the past year including several for Best of Fest along with awards for its Sofroniou's camera work, Papadaki's direction, and a host of others. It's not a surprise. 5 Ways to Die is intelligent, inventive, original, and beautifully constructed with a top notch performance from lead Michalis Marinos as Makis, a seemingly suicidal man unable to commit to a way of actually following through. A veteran of theater, stage, and cinema, Marinos doesn't just use his dialogue perfectly but it's a delight watching his physical performance unfold. 

For more information on 5 Ways to Die, visit the film's website.

© Written by Richard Propes
The Independent Critic