I stumbled across a new short film titled Wildfires last week while doing my routine creeping of IMDB for new stories that we haven’t reported on yet at HorrorSociety.com. Wildfires caught my attention for three reasons: I thought the plot was intriguing, it stars a well known theater performer and independent horror actor… and fires are pretty. Wildfires didn’t end up having anything to do with fires, but it was still a relatively pleasing viewing based on my other two areas of anticipation. One thing I would urge JDW Films and STI Productions to do is make better promotional images, whether it be a new poster or distribution of new stills. Considering the short film has yet to debut in the film festival circuit, I would really like to see more captivating images like the ones I have featured below so the right audience can find this film. And, being that my thoughts are so scrambled right now, let me hop into my review because I confuse us all.
Wildfires is written, directed and produced by Jon D. Wagner with cinematographer Chad Courtney, co-producer Sam Ingraffia and VFX supervisor A.J. Rickert-Epstein. Cast members include Damian Maffei, R.D. Call, Dean Haglund and Sam Ingraffia. Set in the not too distance future, Wildfires sees Earth after being ravaged by overpopulation and pollution, which has spawned a devastating plague that has already killed off 90% of the human population. Eventually a cure for the plague is discovered, but through backwards thinking, radical intellectuals and militant environmentalists decide that the Earth is trying to cure itself, a second cleansing of the ungrateful human viruses that rape it of its nutrients. Ben, played by Damian Maffei, is tasked with going back in time to eliminate the doctors and scientists before they can develop the cure. This task, however, comes with one of the biggest inner struggles of all time. Does Ben save the Earth itself as a planet, or does he save the billions of people who will be lost?
Cinematically, it took me a second to realize just how stylized Wildfires appears. The camera work is top notch and a lot of perfectly run-down locations were used to showcase Wagner’s post-apocalyptic America… But, the film is stylized in a way that has a lot of Oscar-worthy shots. I need to give a tremendous round of applause to Chad Courtney for his work as cinematographer because he helped to create some beautiful, exquisite shots that are quite remarkable from an independent standpoint. He is one talented guy, to say the least. I would go as far as to say that Wildfires looks like it exists in the same universe as Blade Runner (1982) because of all the different angles and use of natural light, the use of darkness without quieting the shot, and the film’s natural ability to infuse the element of science fiction with humanoid themes. What a wonderful experience as a viewer to see such a genius work of art and it is a pleasure to be one of the first people to see it. I sincerely hope that Wildfires hits the film festival circuit soon because I truly believe it’s going to win a ton of awards based on production and quality of picture alone. This is how you make an original, thoughtful, cinematic experience. Please, take note.
When discussing the cast here, I need to make it very clear that everyone did a fantastic job, but the two stars really stole the show. The one thing I like about Damian Maffei, as an actor, is that he’s really smart when he selects his film roles. Of course, he’s played a few funny, if not throw-away characters in horror shorts like The House That Cried Blood and Night of the Pumpkin; but he also takes on a number of roles that really stretch his capabilities as an actor as seen in films like Christmas with the Dead and Stable House. Maffei absolutely leads the show in Wildfires and exudes everything you’d expect from a mentally strung-out, brooding man tasked with saving the world through a brutal series of events. He maintains the right level of grief and sorrow, anguish and turmoil, and anger all while giving the slightest glimpses into his personal strength and hope for a better tomorrow. His performance as Ben here is definitely an award winning performance. The other star, R.D. Call, was an absolutely pleasure to be introduced to. He has a very Ray Wise quality about him, he’s very refined, and I can’t wait to see more from him in the future.
A lot of good decision making skills were used when crafting Wildfires and this is the point in my review where I need to give Jon D. Wagner some love, too. Everything just fit together perfectly and I think his capabilities as a director and leader really show here. The script is the perfect length and it doesn’t go down the traditional route that other films in its category would go. The voice overs are full of subtle conflict and context and don’t overcrowd the action and dialogue on screen. The use of science fiction as plot devices aren’t overbearing and in your face, which lead the way for a more thematic, heartfelt viewing. I think that Wildfires is going to captivate audiences because it has the ability to put every single person in the position of Ben. What would you do? Who would you save? What parts of yourself would you lose in the process? Wildfires is very light on horror and science fiction in place of emotional and inner struggle. It’s so great to see that someone out there understands that making a movie can be all about suspense building and nudity and cursing and nice cars and whatever else you look for in a good hour and a half showing… But, when you strip all of that away you need to be left with a great story that grabs the audience by their emotions. Wildfires is that story. Well done, Wagner.
Final Score: 8 out of 10
