Within moments, it's obvious that we're in for a lot of gore with writer/director Justin Edwards's lates short film Day of the Cyclops when we come face-to-face, quite literally, with Myles (Kaylah Dixon), a model of sorts who loses an eye in a freak accident while attempting some DIY headshots.
Day of the Cyclops is an 18-minute comedy horror short that recently kicked off its indie festival run and has already picked up a couple of awards for its makeup along the way. Edwards, whose feature film Detective Detective Detective picked up the top prize at Indy's Gen Con Film Festival in 2015, will be back in Indy and at Gen Con with this dandy little horror short.
Myles is, appropriately so, despondent over her new one-eyed situation and nearly ends it all when an inter-dimensional portal drops a Cyclops skull in her backyard. After an ASMR video awakens the skull, it pleads with her to bring its body back.
Who is she to argue with a Cyclops?
Myles agrees to scale a local mountain so that Zeus can zap the skull with a lightning bolt. Unfortunately, this goes awry and our Cyclops only recovers the flesh around the skull. Now in need of a recently functioning body, Myles refuses to go any further for the cause. No matter, the Cyclops takes matters, and Myles's neighbor, into his own hands. Throw in a Cyclops hunter (Leslie Andrew Ridings) and you're in for quite the wacky time.
Day of the Cyclops is the kind of film that indie horror fests love. It's got tremendous entertainment value. It's gory but not too gory. It's kind of gross. It also got a few scenes in its 18-minute running time that will leave you going "Ugh."
The film's ensemble cast is obviously having a great time including relative newcomer Kaylah Dixon as Myles and the tremendous Adam McCabe in dual roles as both The Cyclops and Myles's neighbor Jet. Edwards also seems to show up in his films in a bit role and he's back here as Asclepius. Leslie Andrew Ridings is also having a blast as The Hunter.
Ridings is also responsible for the film's inventive, in your face gory lensing that makes you both laugh and cringe. Original music by Michael Ian Edwards and Benji Robinson is also effective throughout.
Day of the Cyclops is another winner from Justin Edwards and it's going to be a lot of fun watching this film on its indie fest journey. Moviegoers from my hometown of Indianapolis will want to check out the film when it screens at Gen Con later this year.
Written by Richard Propes
The Independent Critic
