Urban Isolation Meets Surveillance

Read Time:3 Minute, 40 Second

MOVIE REVIEW
Hi! You Are Currently Being Recorded

Genre: Thriller
Year Released: 2024
Runtime: 8m
Director(s): Kyle Greenberg, Anna Maguire
Writer(s): Kyle Greenberg, Anna Maguire
Cast: Anna Maguire
Where To Watch: shown at the 2024 Fantasia Film Festival

RAVING REVIEW: When you stroll through the streets of Woodland Hills in Los Angeles, it might feel like you've walked onto a film set, where every corner whispers secrets of a world where privacy is just an illusion. That's the chilling scenario that HI! YOU ARE CURRENTLY BEING RECORDED brings to life. Directed by Anna Maguire and Kyle Greenberg, this short film cleverly mirrors our societal obsession with surveillance, thrusting Maguire, both director and protagonist, into an unsettling narrative of modern voyeurism.

In this narrative, Anna's day starts as any might: a simple meeting planned with a new acquaintance. She is unaware that her every step is monitored. As she navigates her neighborhood, the unsettling feeling of being observed grows, captured through innovative filming techniques. Ring cameras and grainy VHS tapes make us complicit in the surveillance, adding a gritty, realistic touch to the viewing experience.

However, the plot takes a deeper dive into the psychological impact of this surveillance when Anna discovers a house different from the rest. Something is different here, seemingly forgotten, the house initially offers a break from the relentless tracking—until a disembodied voice shatters the calm, emphasizing the inescapable reach of technology. This pivotal moment ties Anna's plight to a broader cultural commentary on privacy.

Greenberg’s directorial approach intensifies this theme. His use of tight close-ups and abrupt edits encapsulates the claustrophobia of being watched. Complementing this visual tension, the “soundtrack” blends dissonant electronic and ambient sounds, pulling the audience deeper into Anna's increasingly paranoid mind.

As night falls, the film’s climax unfolds with a crescendo of suspense. Familiar streets turn into a menacing maze, each shadow and sound a potential threat, magnifying Anna’s fear to palpable levels. Maguire's performance is exceptional here, skillfully weaving curiosity with a growing sense of dread, making the psychological torment her character endures feel profoundly real and deeply unsettling.

This psychological drama delves deeper into the emotional turmoil that pervasive surveillance can inflict on an individual. Anna's escalating fear reflects a society grappling with the consequences of lost anonymity. This narrative is a stark reminder of the fine line between safety and invasion, posing pertinent questions about our trade-offs for perceived security.

HI! YOU ARE CURRENTLY BEING RECORDED is striking in its utilization of the harsh, natural light of Los Angeles to cast stark shadows over the narrative, contrasting dramatically with the dark undercurrents of the story. This aesthetic choice not only heightens the film's dramatic tension but also grounds the surreal aspects of the plot in a vividly tangible setting.

HI! YOU ARE CURRENTLY BEING RECORDED explores the implications of living in a surveillance-saturated society. Maguire and Greenberg have not only made a film; they've sparked a conversation about autonomy, privacy, and the voyeuristic tendencies of modern culture. Their foray into filmmaking is marked by a clear, insightful vision, making their future projects highly anticipated by an audience now keenly aware of the lenses always trained on them.

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[photo courtesy of A COLOR GREEN]

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