There are those films that alter your DNA.
There are those films that make you look at life differently.
There are those films that rattle your senses and shake your bones.
Jorey Worb's BITE is just such a film.
Now then, in full disclosure, I must confess a bias toward BITE having just awarded the 14-minute short film my namesake award the Richard D. Propes Social Impact Award at this week's Academy Award-qualifying Indy Shorts International Film Festival.
It's a warranted bias, however, for a short film that completely rocked my world.
The description of BITE is, perhaps, simple - After being sexually attacked by her dentist, a once-confident young woman searches within herself for the strength to confront her assailant.
Another #MeToo film?, I can hear you thinking to yourself.
Think again.
Inspired by her own 2022 experience, Worb has crafted an insightful, emotionally honest, and yet surprisingly entertaining journey through the abusive cycle from the inciting trauma through the reclamation of self and the undeniable heroism of surviving and thriving.
In its world premiere at Tribeca this past month, BITE was a nominee for best narrative short. It's a film that deserves to be seen far and wide, not simply because of the relevance of its topic but because of the vibrant way in which it is addressed. As Worb herself said in a recent interview with Nylon, " Trauma isn’t the memoir and the story of what happened to you. Trauma is how you’ve adapted to it." That's the story that comes to life in BITE, the story of a young woman whose sexual assault becomes part of her life tapestry without dominating it.
BITE benefits from the presence of the marvelous Troian Bellisario, whose performance as this young woman is filled with vulnerability, vibrance, empathy, and utmost dignity. As we watch her tiptoe toward reclamation, we watch a young woman we already know to be extraordinary lean into that self-realization once again and take the steps necessary to claim her own identity once again. It's a wonderfully nuanced, intuitive performance that I'm still thinking about.
Just as important to the success of the film is the performance of Evan Arnold as the film's dentist, a performance that could have so easily been a caricature yet a performance that is filled with subtle nuances and a surprisingly rich humanity. Without ever excusing his behavior, BITE also defies easily demonization. There's a charisma to Arnold's performance that compels and BITE reveals rather wisely just how such a trauma can so easily unfold.
There's simply so much to love with BITE. Co-penned by Worb with Alex Raiman, BITE holds on to the intimacy of its story while also sharing universal themes. Worb's direction is impeccable, vibrant imagery never masking traumatic wounds and traumatic wounds never displacing the wonder of this human being we come to care deeply about within the relatively short span of 14 minutes.
The lensing by Garrett O'Brien is inspired, a final shot in the film absolutely stunning in all its complexities and possibilities. Original music by Hal Rosenfeld perfectly complements the film's narrative and production design by Caia Diepenbrock is somehow the perfect mix of pathos and wonder.
Quite honestly, everything here is sublime.
If there was one thing I felt as I wound down my time with BITE, it was a sense of healing. As a sexual assault survivor myself, I've typically resigned myself to the fact that cinematic portrayals either lean into the trauma and the drama or they drip with unearned inspiration. BITE is different. BITE is a miraculous tapestry of trauma and healing, wounds and wonder.
Continuing on its film festival journey, BITE is a film to look for if it arrives at a festival near you and a film to watch for come awards season.
Written by Richard Propes
The Independent Critic
