The 10th film from Rajah Samaroo, Worm Free Society is a sci-fi/suspense short starring Timothy Goff as Norman Clark, an almost corporate drone stuck working in what appears to be a dimly lit, low energy, and ploddingly methodical warehouse alongside a strange but familiar old man (David Weindel). The two don't seemingly share much of anything, with Norman a disheveled yet reasonably motivated young man while the older man shuffles about going through the motions.

One day, Norman discovers there are microcosmic organisms on his caseload and, as he pays more attention, he realizes that they are literally everywhere he turns.

The old man? He doesn't seem to care.

Norman becomes determined to figure out their purpose, a purpose that involves the also familiar boss upstairs (Josh Willis) and a purpose that may very well have a global implication.

Filmed on an incredibly modest $2500, Worm Free Society is an intelligently written and well cast film that builds into a nicely suspenseful 24-minute short film that doesn't actually surprise that much but certainly does make the journey quite a bit of fun.

The film is hindered by the inevitable challenges of working on a small budget, most notably a sound mix that is often times tinny and buzzy with an echo that I at first thought was intentional but quickly realized was just a consequence of not being able to fully edit the sound mix for maximum effect.

Timothy Goff does a nice job of playing an ordinary average joe in a not so ordinary circumstance, while David Weindel's turn as the old man is almost disturbingly convincing. Josh Willis, Andre Boudreau, and Ruth Sullivan also do a nice job as supporting players.

Worm Free Society should find a home on the indie/underground festival scene and the film serves as a solid example that you don't have to compromise your artistic vision even when you're working with a low budget. You just have to surround yourself with a similarly visionary cast and crew as committed to the film as are you.

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

© Written by Richard Propes
The Independent Critic