Watch one man’s last stand against an alien invader in Souvenir.

Synopsis

An alien invasion has all but finished its job, except for a lone man and a gun.

Review

When you watch Souvenir, realize that this was made for literally no budget. Everybody on this film contributed their time and love to it.

The opening bass notes reminded me of Ennio Morricone’s score for The Thing. It shouldn’t be much of a surprise that this was an Italian production and no doubt Morricone was an inspiration for Mario Orman. Indeed, even the end title music harkens back to the music of the 70s Italian films of Dario Argento.

The music underscores the bleak reality we see in the very first frames: a man covered in soot and blood, holding a gun to his head while he looks on at the destruction of a town by large, jellyfish-shaped alien spacecraft.

It’s obvious who won this battle and the reason for the man’s feeling of hopelessness. This is a story told purely through visuals, without a single line of dialogue. Before he can pull the trigger he’s bathed in bright white light from one of the craft, then BANG…

I won’t spoil the rest of this wonderful short film. The sound mix and visual effects are top notch. Between those two it’s as much a treat for our ears as our eyes that enhances a quick but interesting story.

What did you think of Souvenir? Leave a comment below.

Information

Genre: Sci-Fi
Country: Italy
Release Year: 2011
Runtime: 6 mins, 25 secs.
Written and Directed by: Mario Orman
Cast: Gabriel Smith

YouTube Channel: ubububu