The Chairman (2018)

Corporate researchers go behind the back of their mysterious employer to test the telepathic abilities of a traumatized girl and her father.

Review

The Chairman is one of those near future looking films, but with a twist - it's super retro at the same time. Writer / director Frank White IV  places passion in his project by firmly displacing the design of the time period. Man, there are VHS tapes (ask your parents) in this.

The story focuses on the kidnapping of Perez, the father of telepathic Katie, by a strange organization, intent on testing their abilities. It works surprisingly well, with a solid aesthetic across the board, and a good script. It's sold as Sci fi / Horror, but for me the bent is far more on science fiction, and that's no bad thing.

There are elements that could be considered horror, but even for the uninitiated, it certainly won't be found scary.

The presentation is good, and while it is science fiction there is little in the way of effects per se, which leaves the writing and performances at the fore. Perez is played by Al Saks (The Frontiersman) who without much in the way of experience gives a damn fine performance, channeling Dennis Hopper himself throughout. Bianet Diaz is good as Katie, as is James Michael Detmar as Vincent, sharing the screen with Saks for a good protion of the short runtime.

The only downside is that running at 20 minutes, the story left me wanting more flesh on the bone, and more conclusion. It's based largely on intrigue and I ended up wanting a feature length production to satisfy my curiosity. But hey, how can a short leaving you want more be a bad thing, right?

It's good stuff, and shows a bright future for all involved.

The Chairman is available on Amazon Prime now.