FrightFest screened Georgia Conlon’s dark & daring directorial debut, Charlotte
Charlotte is another fine example of what can be done with a limited budget, a great story and a great leading cast to bring it to life. And, folks, this is one hell of an independent filmmaking achievement.
I will try and keep the spoilers to a minimum but let’s just say that Charlotte packs a few punches. This is the directorial debut from Georgia Conlon who also stars in the leading role of Charlotte
Tired of the constant abuse at home, Charlotte has nowhere to go and seeks refuge in a nearby secluded farmhouse. She has no idea who lives here but that ain’t important, she needs a place to hide from her abusive, alcoholic father. Anything is better than that, right?
We then meet Roy, who at first seems a little reluctant to let a young girl into his home. But, we soon learn the terrifying reason for this. The next day Charlotte reappears and Roy takes her into his home once again. In doing so, Roy is breaking the law; Roy is a sex offender and is not allowed any contact with anyone under the age of 16.
Charlotte deals with some tough subjects but things never get too visually graphic. It depends on what way you look at that, sometimes filling the bleak blanks with your imagination is far more scarier than what could be put on screen. Although the subject of child abuse in evident, I believe it was handled with care.
Georgia Conlon not only writes and directs, but her stand-out performance as Charlotte is clearly introducing us to a serious acting talent. I hope to see more of Conlon doing this multi-tasking filmmaking – I’ll be waiting to see what she does next.
Dean Kilbey shows us a darker, more sinister side to his acting, further proving his leading-man capabilities. It doesn’t matter if it’s a human/Manfish heartfelt drama or if he is battling a c*ck-hungry witch in Member’s Club. This is a serious and daring role. Kilbey brilliantly shows us how a vile monster can easily fit back into an unsuspecting society. Scary, yet fantastic stuff.
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