Identical: Teen Thriller Teeming with Comedy, Suspense, and Uncanny Horror

The teaser to Kevin Cate’s Identical is a 5-minute scene that ends with the viewer scrambling to find the rest. Written by Blake Sennett, it is a thrilling scene that deliberately withholds explanation in favour of questions, setting up a promising adventure with visuals a la Euphoria.

Ty (Ayesha), Zeke (Owen Correll), and Lucy (Roula De Miranda-Arce), three teens in pursuit of a secret rave, are out in the middle of the woods with no functioning phone signal or GPS to direct them to their Valhalla. While Zeke and Ty fight out their frustrations, Lucy, equipped with a joint and functioning light, couldn’t care less. David Allen’s camera, on the other hand, cares a lot, paying erotic attention to Lucy’s reposed form before the gears of the story set in motion. But this is also at a point before we know just how important Lucy is about to become to the plot once raging men and guns enter the fray.

In the meantime, comedy fills the minutes while pieces fall into place around the characters. Soon, Zeke and Ty’s battle for who is the more feminist of the two of them is put to the test; comedy and suspense entwine, and horror springs forth as their lovechild in a chilling turn of events cleverly staged like a movie at a drive-in theatre. The cinematography is sleek until this climactic point, all teenage swagger and bravado, that immediately scrambles into nervous handheld shots in the face of danger. It is worth wondering how much the film will take a coming-of-age approach, but Zeke certainly does find himself in the middle of a brutal learning opportunity that is as tense as it is amusing.

After the exciting first half of the scene, which entertains without crowding you with stimulus, the pacing gives the startling images added urgency. The world splits into the car’s confines and the dark, dangerous forest. The feeling is similar to barricading yourself on a raft in the middle of the ocean. You are safe for only so long.  

Cate’s work has improved with every work since Open Door, and the comical and sleekly suspenseful Identical marks a significant achievement for the director. Let’s hope the feature is as good as this appetiser. 

Watch Identical Short Film