Method - Review

What would you do with $3,500? I assume your answer (unless you’re Chandler Balli) isn’t to take it into the woods with a passionate film crew and make a gruesome slasher film, featuring a genuinely off putting killer design, and impressively creative visual style. For that low of a budget, of course there is a lot of compromise in the access to technology and scale of the production, but I think they did such a great job working with what they’ve got, keeping it grounded and gritty with a healthy amount of comic relief. While the humour wasn’t exactly for me, it helps to elevate the tone from just mindless killing.

The opening of the film is really unsettling. There is something inside me that hates this new crop of filmmakers that are exploiting digital horror, not because I think it’s bad, or cheap, but because it scares me. Something like Kyle Edward Ball’s Skinamarink from 2022 does this to a hellish level. While Method doesn’t reach the heights of scares in Skinamarink, I also don’t believe it is aiming to. Once we get through our cold open with Tapeface, we meet Derek (Chandler Balli), a filmmaker who is taking his cast of actors up to a secluded cabin in order to make Tapeface 3. This final instalment in the franchise is set to follow the same M.O as the first two entries, all actors must “go missing” for five years after the production. This is said to be the best method of immersion for the audiences, similar to the controversy around Cannibal Holocaust in the ‘70s. Derek’s long time collaborator, Trevor (Travis Lee Prine) is the only returning cast member, playing the titular Tapeface. It becomes very clear, very quickly that there is something more going on with this production. It seems like these missing actors from the first two films aren’t just missing, but dead. The production is as method (get it?) as it gets, opting to kill not only the characters, but the actors too.

I’m really impressed by the existence of this film, the fact it’s been made for so little budget and has this much going on in it is really exciting to see. That being said, do I think it’s a perfect film? No. It has a lot of technical limitations that I think hold it back from being great. I am a little tired of the trope of filmmakers making a film and therefore having every excuse to make the film within the film be terrible. There is a level of meta critique you can have in the film by commenting on the genre that the characters are making, but when your in film film doesn’t even have a narrative, it gets a little hard to get on board. The film exists only for Tapeface to carry out his kills, but nothing in the film makes me believe why this franchise is taking over the box office, or getting Derek invited on to podcasts to promote the third one.

Beyond that, the look of the film is a little all over the place, with some genuinely great shots and lighting choices (specifically in darker scenes), and then a complete contrast with saturation bumped up the max during the day. The inconsistency of the look is what is the main thing showing the budget of the film for me. This extends to the dialogue mix, where you have almost inaudible dialogue at points, and then it will switch to another character in the scene that is blaring through the speakers. Maybe the boom op character who seems completely pointless could have taken a step behind the camera and recorded the dialogue a bit clearer.

With the inconsistency in the look, as I mentioned, that also includes some greatness. The camera is not afraid to be at odd angles, with harsh sun glares, or punchy highlights in a nighttime car scene. These choices work so great in a film like this, where the gritty look is cemented. Beyond just the camera, the visual language of the title design and credits is excellent, particularly the opening scene with the Method title appearing in the van as they drove to the film location. As I said, the uncomfortable design of Tapeface is really effective here too. I think the uncanny look to his features makes him a really memorable killer. In a film that I could see being a hit, having a design like that would be one of the main reasons, simple yet completely unnerving.

Chandler Balli clearly has a strong eye for direction and translating the visual style onto screen, but unfortunately I did not enjoy his performance in this one. His odd reliance on headbanging as a showcase of anger crops up more than a few times, and each time it feels less and less realistic. Nothing about his portrayal makes me believe that he and his dedicated killer friend, Trevor could have pulled off two previous films without someone spilling the beans. On the other side, Madison Oakley, who plays Liz, is really enjoyable in this. She is cast as the final girl archetype and plays it well. Her distance from Derek while she slowly clocks onto the real story does mean we lose her from the action, but you can see the development she goes through, even if it happens off screen.

Looking at Chandler’s film output over the last few years, he’s clearly very dedicated to this venture, and I think he’s certainly on the right track. I would not be surprised to see his name crop up in a few years when someone takes a chance on him with a bit more budget. I would love to see what he and his team would do when they are without the limits of cash. Ideas like Tapeface could genuinely grip audiences, and seem to be with his 2024 film Tapeface, which has been released on his YouTube channel.

Method seems to be doing the festival circuit at the moment, no credible info on release beyond that.