Grave Intentions (2021) Film Review | Movie-Blogger.com

Grave Intentions has a magnetic (if underused) idea in its frame story that feels interesting enough to be a wide, blank canvas where everything can happen. And it does. 

Anthologies tend to follow a theme and we have no problem with that. But when one shows up and frames “intention” (and will) as the fuel for exploring darkness, I can’t help but be excited. Grave Intentions is an indie horror flick that tells several stories at the same time. It’s messy production wise and it’s the product of an experiment that could be improved in its execution. 

However, some of the ideas enclosed in this small indie film are “heavy salted” and probably unheard of. I love it when horror films surprise me, and Grave Intentions has 5 attempts that go from the lightweight to the downright unnerving:

• The Bridge Partner: The story with recognizable faces. A shy bridge player finds a partner in a beautiful woman who shares a terrible message. It would have definitely played better with a little more substance. At the end I just felt as if I missed something earlier, and it’s a shame given the premise that hid something bigger, scarier.
• The Disappearance of Willie Bingham: A horrific use of reality as the method for delving into a territory of darkness in the human element of punishment. An imprisoned man is part of a new system for capital punishment. I won’t share much. It’s a well acted short film with a very good script. It feels out of place with the rest of the stories. 
• Violent Florence: My favorite. A girl picks up a stray cat and when she arrives at her place, her true intentions show. You will probably be guessing what I’m talking about, but I can assure you it goes farther. Way farther. It’s a disturbing display of how human nature can travel to distant, unsettling places.
• The Son, The Father: A curious and funny short film about a kid who takes a joke too far. But it’s not his fault. It’s his mother’s. Be prepared for a very short film that tells many stories at once and manages to stay as campy as it must be. This one is very well acted and features a grounded setting that feels realist and therefore, sharp in nature.
• Marian: A regular ghost story that didn’t do it for me.  But it features the scariest scene in the film, and has no boundaries. It’s the story of a girl who’s living in a haunted place. But this is not a regular haunting. 

In terms of celebrating indie genre cinema, Grave Intentions won me over. It’s a mixed bag of possibilities and visions that are probably mismatched, and could spark full features with a little bit of support. If this is the way to do it, then I’m all in again. 

Founder of Screentology. Member of the OFCS. RT Certified Critic

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