STARRING
Ryan Vincent, Bruno Oliver, Susan Louise O' Connor, Matt Anspach, Rori Flynn, Dominique Willingham, Mari Muscio, Yakov Kolontarov, Olivia Haley Young DIRECTED BY
Justin Schwan SCREENPLAY
Allen Osborne RUNNING TIME
12 Mins. OFFICIAL IMDB
"Boomslang 2" Continues Unique Short Series
After the success of the multi-award winning Boomslang, the adventures of serial killer Erik Boomslang (Ryan Vincent) continue in Boomslang 2: The Dinner, a short film that finds the charismatic killer extraordinaire at The Second Wife restaurant where he has an unexpected encounter with his previous victim Harriet (Rori Flynn) and a fresh victim in his sights with the so arrogant you kind of want to see him go Barnard (Bruno Oliver).
Currently on its festival run, Boomslang 2 is directed by Justin Schwan from returning scribe Allen Osborne's fresh and fun script that is said to also be leading us down the road toward at least one more visit to the Boomslang universe.
While I will admit the original Boomslang didn't completely click for me, the film's unique vibe and Ryan Vincent's winning performance added up to a successful festival journey with multiple prizes. I'm not sure if it's a compliment, but Vincent is clearly in sync with this dastardly delightful serial killer who can't help but make you think about Patrick Bateman transplanted to small town America.
While it's not particularly surprising that Vincent is top-notch again, Boomslang 2 has another secret weapon in the early film appearance of Susan Louise O' Connor as Edna, a sort of Dianne Wiest meets Sally Field type who commands the screen and makes you wish the entire film centered around her. It's the kind of performance that had me instantly heading over to IMDB to check out O' Connor's complete filmography.
Boomslang 2 is a fun, inventive film nicely shot by Schwan with spry and imaginative lensing by Adam Gharib. It confirms precisely why the original Boomslang actually felt like it was part of something bigger and it's the kind of short where it's fun to play a game of cinematic connect-the-dots. While there are inevitable gaps as Boomslang becomes the series it was meant to be, Boomslang 2 continues our journey with Erik Boomslang in a way that engages and entertains and makes you eager to come back for more.
If indie festivals are smart, they'll do a Boomslang back-to-back. If you get a chance, you'll definitely want to check it out.
