As an indie film critic, it's always an interesting experience when you decide to give a bit of a thumbs up to a film that you know darn well a good majority of moviegoers aren't going to care for even a little bit.
That's the case with The Yellow Balloon, an imperfect but strangely entertaining film directed by Jason D. Morris from a script by Robert Carrera. I'd venture to say that you'll likely know within about five minutes of starting the film if this one's going to be for you. While I can't say it completely held my attention, it held my attention enough for me to give it that modest thumbs up.
We catch on pretty quickly that The Yellow Balloon is going to be one of those low-budget horror flicks with a weird, spoofy vibe. The good news is that everyone involved seems to know that's exactly what it is. They go for it, and as a result we go for it.
The film centers around, somewhat literally, a genuinely engaging baddie we know as Vincent Vile (Scott Somers). He's a circus ringmaster with a creepy air and an aura that seems to follow him just about everywhere. The opening scene makes for some weird-ass cinema best left undescribed. We're in the town of Autumn Falls, and this scene sets the stage for what's to follow.
It's what follows that serves as the main narrative for The Yellow Balloon. Mia (Justine Leverett) is an attractive young woman trying to get over a recent breakup. She heads out to an isolated cabin with pals Eli (Justin Jobe), Travis (Robert Carrera), and Harper (Shelby Broadnax).
If you've ever watched a single horror film, you know this ain't going to be pretty. It gets less pretty when that ex, Seth (Konnor Heredia), shows up and soon, well, you know who also makes an entrance.
If you don't manage to get into the film's humor, The Yellow Balloon is going to be a slog. If you can get yourself into its rhythm, you should find yourself having a pretty good time with Somers, in particular, being a true stand-out. While i was a bit less impressed with the rest of the ensemble, it's the chemistry between them that really sells the story and that chemistry is definitely a delight. It feels like they've known each other before, because their comic timing is sublime and they seem to naturally pick up each other's cues.
Is The Yellow Balloon the best horror flick you'll see this year? Oh, heavens no. It is, however, a solid indie effort getting by on its nicely done horror, occasionally fun horror set-up, and a cast with a solid chemistry. I'll also admit I'm a fan of this character Vincent Vile, a central presence who's intriguing to watch here and it would be super fun to watch him again.
One of the key ways I really critique a film is trying to figure out if the film succeeds at the filmmaker's vision. I'm convinced that Morris got the film he wanted, at least for the most part, and there's enough promise here that he could very well become an interesting voice on the low-budget/indie horror circuit.
Written by Richard Propes
The Independent Critic
