When Nietzsche Wept (2007)

The journey to success is not always linear. Even when granted a major opportunity, it often comes with strings attached. In the film industry, there are questions of financial backing, artistic integrity, and the recognition each member of the project deserves. The eponymous Michael Solace is aligned with many of his indie filmmaking peers when he says, “I don’t want to be a sellout”.

This sentiment is repeated multiple times throughout Michael Solace, a short film written by Kris Salvi and directed by Chris Esper. Throughout the 14 minute runtime, Michael debates whether to sell his screenplay to Mr. Blanc, a rich benefactor who has a habit of buying out screenwriters and changing their work entirely before it makes it to the screen. The decision riddles him with anxiety, sending him into a spiral where he equates selling his script to selling his soul.

The film blends reality and the supernatural world together, leaving the viewer unsure of what’s real and what’s merely a figment of Michael’s agitated imagination. An assistant named Shadowman has eyes that go black, and as he drives Michael into a forest they’re met by men in Scream masks made of written words. It’s eerie, and I especially love the way Michael’s agent, Monica (Diana Porter), goes from kind and collected to a vampire wielding the writer’s dreaded red pen.

Even before the supernatural elements kick in, this is clearly a horror. Justin Thibault plays Michael Solace as the type of guy who scratches at his collar and pays more attention to the clinking of cups on the table than the conversation at hand. He’s overwhelmed by his producer interviews and wants better for what he considers his “best work” yet. It’s an anxiety-driven nightmare that’s bolstered by sound mixing that makes the background noise louder than the conversations and a camera that swings violently, quick to jump to whatever new attention-grabbing thing there is to see.