The Puzzle (2008) is the title of the psychological horror genre short film written, directed and produced by Italian screenwriter and director Davide Melini (Extreme Love, The Screenplay, The sweet hand of the white rose). The film was shot in Spain, the country where the author lives.
Shot in one night and on a budget of 300 euros, The Puzzle Has a duration of about four minutes.
The film was selected in many international festivals, winning the award for 3rd Best Italian Film in the "Rome International Film Festival." It was also broadcast in Italy on "Short Stories" and on "Terrore Indipendente"; in Spain on "Málaga en Antena"; in America on "The Darkest Hours" and on "Indie Horror TV" but that's not all. The short film is part of The Dark Cinema, an American horror TV series hosted by the great actor Bill Oberst Jr. (Take This Lollipop, Circus of the Dead, The Chair).
A phone call between mother (Cachito Naguera) and son (Alessandro Fornari) immediately hints at a strained relationship. Indeed, the woman's first words and reaction reflect a conflict that arose from the young man's constant demands for money. The jigsaw puzzle and a herbal tea only elements instead that represent the relaxing break that the lady indulges in inside her silent abode.
Aside from the praise and awards received, which the film certainly deserves, what is most striking is Melini's skill in putting together a story of just four minutes permeated with a strong atmosphere of suspense and a thick aura of mystery. The unimaginable ending becomes almost disorienting and, like a key piece of that puzzle that the protagonist is intent on completing, defines and concludes the story with a touch of originality.
The Puzzle depicts a simple family situation but at the same time conveys to the audience that subtle and pungent feeling of tension that builds up in a very short time until it explodes, thanks to a perfect alchemy between direction and screenplay to which is added an accomplished photography (Ezechiel Montes) and much attention to detail.
Frantic filming, distorted shots and a hypnotic play of light cloak the film in a dreamlike, hallucinatory sense, also abetted by psychedelic music (Gothic Visions) that nicely accompanies a veiledly macabre story.
The Puzzle is a commendable short film where in just a few minutes Davide Melini demonstrates excellent directorial skills.
