Film Review: 12 KM (unreleased) Dir. Mike Pecci
Mike Pecci's 12 KM is a truly fascinating short film. Obviously very influenced by John Carpenter's The Thing, but with a way with mood and cinematography that's reminiscent of Denis Villeneuve (if you listen to Pecci’s podcast In Love With the Process, you’ll know he admires both filmmakers a great deal) as well, Pecci delivers one stunning shot after another.
Set in a remote drilling location in 1980s Russia, a crew drills down deeper and deeper into the ground to record sound. When the project's co-creator's son arrives to shut it down, things go...well...very very wrong. 12 KM is, essentially, a horror film, but, unlike most of the dreck in the genre, Pecci finds a heart in it. Unresolved family issues are at the center of the story, giving the film a great deal more meaning than you might expect. As Pecci explains on a recent episode of his podcast featuring filmmaker Joe Carnahan (a friend of Rock ‘n Roll Ghost), he did the VFX work in camera and the details with how he did so need to be heard to be believed. It might be cooler to see the short film (which to do so, you need to listen to his podcast to find out how as it is not publicly available) before listening to the Carnahan episode.
But either way, Pecci delivers a truly stunning achievement on what I have to assume is a micro or near nil budget. 12 KM is intended to be a way in to make a feature version. But I have to say that I like the idea of the short film being as it is and for Pecci to use it as a spring board to another project. With all the garbage that is being made, how has this guy not been given something to make yet? Hollywood - for shame!
3 1/2 stars (out of 4)
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Mike Pecci (right)