All the Flowers That Cut Through the Earth

Written by Andreas Babiolakis


This is a review of a film from The Great Canadian Horror Film Festival that just concluded. Click here to find information surrounding the upcoming The Great Canadian Sci-Fi Film Festival.

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Here’s another shorter film from the festival. Ward Crockett’s half hour psychedelic spectacle All the Flowers That Cut Through the Earth leaves enough of a lasting impact to feel like a highlight of an indie film fest, though. Unlike some of the other shorts at The Great Canadian Horror Film Festival — where they feel like projects that can only evolve from this starting point — All the Flowers almost feels like the climax to a film I arrived incredibly late to. Suffice to say that this renders the film to be like a series of vignettes and examples of what Crockett can do well, it’s still short enough that it’s at least even a bit of a rush. When I say Crockett can do things well, I mean quite well. His aesthetic team here is operating right at the forefront. I’m talking about scenes soaked in monochromatic colour to the point of light blockage and an emphasis on shadows, as well as a brooding soundtrack (almost Goblin-era Suspiria in tone) to tie everything together.

In the same meal, we have a few horror tropes shaped by cookie cutter molds, including the whole creepy child staple and the deranged playing of instruments to make you feel on edge. These moments don’t last long, so All the Flowers can easily move onto the next image. All of these events are hemmed together by a fairly strong performance by Josh Bywater, who seems like he could be effective in films of any budget: ten million, ten dollars, it doesn’t matter. We’re experiencing his character’s visions after all, but he still helps Crockett steer this ship quite smoothly. Otherwise, All the Flowers is entirely Crockett and his production and post crew working with what they have: shots presented in reverse, quick edits, and other various cinematic “spices” to help bring these paranormal activities to life.

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Andreas Babiolakis has a Masters degree in Film and Photography Preservation and Collections Management from Ryerson University, as well as a Bachelors degree in Cinema Studies from York University. His favourite times of year are the Criterion Collection flash sales and the annual Toronto International Film Festival.