Ad.her.ent. (2019)

Ad.Her.Ent. (2019)

PLOT - A television actress gets recognized in her building by a neighbor one day and a very unhealthy obsession begins resulting in tragedy. 

LOWDOWN - Several years ago I was completely blown away when I watched a short film called "Don't Fall Asleep." made by several hardcore Elm Street fans. There are honestly no fanbase that is more passionate than horror fans, and to get even more specific, no fans are more passionate than the Nightmare On Elm Street fanbase. I think it's because 30+ years later Wes Craven's classic film that stretched the limits of reality, along with its iconic sequels, television show, merchandise, artwork, comics, novels, and remake are still as beloved as they have ever been. Freddy Krueger is recognized all over the world, and it warms my heart whenever I see fans who grew up with these films make artwork, or movies that display how much they love this universe and want to expand on it. Don't Fall Asleep was a short film that answered a question many of us Elm Street fans wanted to know.

"What was Nancy up to between part 1 and 3?"

Paige Troxell, along with her crew of friends, and fellow Elm Street fans poured their hearts and souls into this project, and it truly showed. You know a fan film has made an impact on you, when you can't watch part 3 the same way anymore since the ending of Don't Fall Asleep is so heartbreaking, yet hopeful. I feel this was due to strong performances, a well written script, and wonderful directing by Ms. Troxell. It's always refreshing to see more female writers and directors in the horror community, not holding back on what they are fans of, and the messages they are trying to send through their work. Paige recently sent me her latest project, and it's been a very long time since a film left me feeling this unsettled.

This film is called Ad.Her.Ent.

This short story tells the tale of a young attractive television actress who get's recognized in her building by a neighbor, who instantly becomes obsessed with her, becoming more and more unstable as he's unable to get the hint that she's just trying to be friendly, and nothing more. The film itself opens with brief clips of fans, losing it over whatever celebrity they look-up to, or love. Here they cry, yell with excitement, or stare deadpan at the camera stating that they are that certain celebrity's biggest fan, and nobody else will love them as much as them. We watch cringeworthy statements being spoken out on social media as these fans rave that they feel that these people are their "friends" since they liked a tweet they were mentioned on, or a photo on Instagram. Paige does a wonderful job capturing the excitement of fans. We have all seen it, or have been there ourselves. There are artist, actors, singers, etc that we all follow, and support, and fan girl over. We have collections of their work, tattoos, artwork, pay money to meet them at shows, and will always remember if we are lucky enough to meet them at shows, the two or so minutes with them, and will forever look back on that moment as a good or bad experience. The scary thing is, there are fans out there that don't have boundaries. I'm sure we've all witnessed it before, and it's like watching a slow motion train wreck. Some fans feel entitled, and don't understand boundaries, almost as if they are owed something by claiming the title of "Biggest fan." It's scary to think, but stalking is a true reality for everyone, mostly celebrities. To think that movies like "Misery" and "Play Misty For Me" can actually happen, really makes you think. Sadly these lonely unstable people view these celebrities as almost as a figure to worship, and cling onto as a source of light through the darkness their mind has created. In Ad. her.ent we see a bird's eye view of a mentally disturbed man, who begins a downward spiral, and does unnoticed with his unhealthy behavior before it's too late.

There are two scenes of this man alone, crying, and masturbating, and it honestly seems to go on forever. Paige did a brilliant job with both moments, making the camera linger, and making you feel uncomfortable, as if you shouldn't be watching this, feeling uneasy, and the emotional collapse this man is suffering from.

Here the actress tries to ignore the inappropriate behavior, at first figuring he's this harmless guy, before getting annoyed as he continues showing up at her front door, asking personal questions, bringing gifts, and waiting in the lobby for her, Without giving anything away, this is a great example of celebrity stalking 101, and the last shot of the movie gave me chills. Let's just say...it doesn't have a happy ending, which in most cases, these things rarely do.

This is yet another wonderful project by Paige, and a filmmaker I'll be keeping an eye out for. She's a brilliant storyteller, and movies like this make me look forward to whatever she has planned next further down the road!

5 stars!