‘Distant Tales’ Provides A Thrilling Anthology Within A COVID Driven World
Horror anthology movies tend to offer a unique and all-around captivating viewing experience for any horror fan. It presents a diverse range of unsettling and disturbing narratives within a single movie. With each segment, you are introduced to new characters, a new setting, and new terrifying storylines. This tantalizing variety allows filmmakers to explore a multitude of horror sub-genres from supernatural occurrences, and psychological frights, that cater to a broader audience than the standard a to z storyline most movies provide. This unpredictability of horror anthology movies keeps the people watching them on the edge of their seats during each segment in such an original way it is almost like watching multiple movies at once. The great way it can offer multiple unexpected twists which foster a sense of suspense and excitement that is sometimes lacking in some traditional horror movies.
There is something about the horror anthology structure that provides filmmakers the freedom to experiment creatively with each segment. In a way, it is a horror mix tape for the fans provided by fellow horror fans themselves. Directors can employ their own creative styles, tones, and visual techniques that contribute to an amazing horror experience. This type of unique storytelling not only showcases the versatility of horror as a big genre of movies, but also allows for more exploration of other cultures, fears we may face in our current society, and other horrific things we may come across from a variety of different perspectives. Horror anthologies enable such a rich tapestry of horror stories that collectively tap into our personal fears and curiosities that make our viewing experiences both terrifying, chilling, and a particularly satisfyingly macabre experience.
Recently I had the chance to watch the COVID-19-driven horror anthology from acclaimed playwright and screenwriter Shem Bitterman and executive producer/Oscar-winner Tom Schuman called ‘Distant Tales’. This movie stars Megan Gallagher, Liz Fenning, Christopher Curry, Tristan Allerick Chen, Rupak Ginn, Carolyn Michelle Smith, Chantal Nchako, Amen Igbinosun, Shem Bitterman, Sakai Garel, Samuel Martin Lewis, Ben Bowen, Tiffany Wolff, and Alaska Jackson. The synopsis for this movie is as follows:
“In ‘Distant Tales’ four individual stories set during a worldwide pandemic unfold with unexpected twists and revelations: an extramarital affair, cut short by a pandemic and continued online; a mysterious job interview, overseen by an unseen judge; a vaccine trial, where a burgeoning love leads to some bad decisions; a grieving dad who finds sympathy from an online advocate for violence.”
Each of these stories provides its own chapter of fear, loneliness, and despair that comes with living in a pandemic-ran world. With the threat of Covid slowly winding down, this movie makes you look back on the intensity that came with Zoom-only calls, working remotely, and being afraid of the world around you.
With the story ‘Touch’, you get a look into a dark, psychosexual horror story with an affair between two co-workers (portrayed by Tiffany Wolff and Samuel Martin Lewis). The affair is cut short after a single night only to be resumed online at 4 AM in their respective homes by Ben’s wife (portrayed by Alaska Jackson) and another mysterious spouse where secret dangers lie in wait. There is a lot of intensity, drama, and a lot of moments that leave you puzzled, yet curious to see how it ends. The twist in this story is great and honestly was so well portrayed by everyone on screen. It is a fantastic way to kick off this movie and sets the bar high for all the stories involved.
It makes you wonder what type of affairs were happening virtually while the world was in shambles. This and of course all the stories in this movie were filmed beautifully working between dark and sometimes bright filters, all while being in the perspective of a Zoom call. While watching this and other stories within the movie, you kind of feel like a voyeur who may have stumbled upon a Zoom call you did not intend to see. This is really an enjoyable portion of the movie (who doesn’t love a good dramatic story that ignites gossip) and the ways that it made you question everything you saw.
The next story on this cinematic journey is called ‘Please Log On’. This story focuses on a lonely and isolated woman (portrayed by Liz Fenning) struggling to make a connection with a desperate job hunger (portrayed by Rupak Ginn) over a timed video call observed by an absent, mysterious, and menacing boss. This story was such a roller coaster. It almost makes you afraid to ever have a job interview via Zoom (considering how everything these days is done online, this would most likely be any job interview you have). The way that Liz Fenning goes from zero to insanity with a flip of a switch is very impressive. Not to mention the way Rupak Ginn is playing off of that with the reaction I think any normal person would have in this situation. The story feels like a fever dream mixed with an episode of ‘Black Mirror’. It was very enjoyable and a great addition to this movie.
After that, you will need to shift gears with this psychological tug at your heartstrings with ‘Placebo’. In this story, a test subject for a new vaccine (portrayed by Amen Igbinosun) falls in love with his trial administrator (portrayed by Carolyn Michelle Smith) throughout the study during their virtual check-ins. You see so much happen in the span of each virtual check-in. The chemistry between Amen and Carolyn’s characters enhances the story in a way that you will want to hope for the best, but considering this is a horror movie, it may or may not end well. You do see this progression between the gentle giant of Amen’s character and how he chips away at Carolyn’s guarded, yet professional presence throughout this segment.
It is a pleasant part of this story, but there are a lot of real-life terrors going on in this story such as COVID, the vaccine, racism, and doing all that you can for your family. Amen’s character states throughout that he is doing this solely for his sister (portrayed by Chantal Nchako). This story will make you feel a wave of emotions throughout the entirety of the segment. It was intense, heartwarming, and tragic all at once. Like most of the stories in this horror anthology, it stays with you well after the end, but in this case, the sting of it is longer lasting than the previous stories.
The final story in this horror anthology seems all too true in the world we have lived in for the past 3 years. This particular story is called ‘R Nought’ and revolves around a disgraced talk show host (portrayed by Christopher Curry) who attempts to lure a grieving Navy officer (portrayed by Ben Bowen) into a vast right-wing plot to bring down the government while his stepmother (portrayed by Megan Gallagher) tries to get him to focus on his son. This movie reminds me why I am not a big fan of the craziness behind political activism. It also reminded me quite a bit of someone in a QAnon group if they fell into a ‘Tales From The Crypt’ episode. The acting between Christopher Curry and Ben Bowen were superb.
It will exceeded the initial expectations you might have of it. They have quite the roller coaster of emotions with Ben’s character being on a bender after the terrible death of his wife and the way he blames his government for it. Not to mention you question whether the entire conversation with Christopher’s character is in his head, a political conspiracy, or something more supernaturally sinister. It ended up being quite a surprising viewing experience and I enjoyed every intense moment of it.
All of the segments in this horror anthology flow together so well. They ease into each segment without hesitation, and this not only contributed to the amazing acting from the movie’s cast but the way it was written/directed. A good horror anthology can be hit or miss with the heavyweight champions that have graced our screens within the last few decades, but this one holds its own very well. It is a high recommendation and one I think deserves a watch from any horror fan, especially ones that enjoy a good horror anthology.
‘Distant Tales’ is now available on iTunes, Amazon, and VUDU, as well as out on Blu-Ray. Get your copy digitally or physically today to have your own thrilling experience.
Stay up to date with “The Dark Side Of Pop Culture” by following Macabre Daily on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.
