For those familiar with one of the most famous, you might say infamous, psychology experiments in history, the 11-minute darkly comical short film Aping will unquestionably be more than a little familiar. 

Written and directed by Ian Bousher and Theo Gee, Aping takes five people of seemingly different backgrounds and personalities and places them in a controlled environment. While it's likely that you'll figure out fairly quickly precisely what's going on, it's how Bousher and Gee bring it all to life with this ensemble cast that helps to turn Aping into a disturbingly entertaining view that may very well make you both laugh and cringe. 

The film stars Tim Scragg, Sally Horwill, Paul Mansell, Julie Rose Smith, and Jean Camenen as the quintet of experiment participants whose identities are uniquely labeled and whose identities will ultimately impact their participation in this most unique experiment. 

Tim Scragg largely maintains the dramatic core of the film, though watching the scenes unfold you definitely get moments for each of the performers to shine. Julie Rose Smith, communicating everything with remarkable body language and facial expressions, leaves a particularly strong impact but there isn't a weak link here. 

Available for viewing via Vimeo, where it has already been identified as a "Staff Pick," Aping is a low-budget indie that works because it takes a familiar event and adds a new twist to it courtesy of the script from Bousher and Gee. 

Aping isn't necessarily a film that will blow you away, but it will leave a strong impact and may even make you cringe a little bit at the ways you found the film quite funny. 

For more information on Aping, visit the film's Facebook page linked to in the credits. 

Written by Richard Propes
The Independent Critic