One of the reasons I love the Sydney Underground Film Festival so much, is that each year you can guarantee to view some of the most off-centre films from the industry. No matter how hard you try they refuse to ‘fit-in’ to the mainstream, perfectly content to live among the strange, surreal, or bizarre. This year, Fingers can proudly sit among this prestigious group of outcasts, described by SUFF as a ‘quirky and off-the-wall jam’.
We all have our phobias, and for Amanda, it’s fingers. So when she is confronted by a fellow worker who is missing one of his digits, she freaks out and spirals into a world that she is forced to endure and overcome her demons.
Fingers soon blurs the boundaries as we are presented with Dr. Scotty, a self-help psychologist, who aims to guide Amanda on her journey; Two masked hit-men; and a curious old dude played by Michael St. Michaels who some viewers may recognise from The Greasy Strangler. Each of these characters come with their own curiosities that slowly seep to the surface and sheds light on all our of our oddities that we try to keep buried beneath the surface. In doing so, the characters must own up to their “weaknesses’ and embrace them. For without them, humanity will never grow and become trapped in their own personal hell.
The Diagnosis:
Whilst Fingers may not suit everyone’s tastes, those that relish the strange and quirky souls of human life, will find great satisfaction from this little gem. If you can push beyond the first 20mins, you will find yourself absorbed into the narrative and willing to plunge into the dark and twisted mind of director, Juan Ortiz (Jennifer Help Us). Particularly striking was Jeremy Gardner as the unhinged hit-man, Talky, who tord the fine-line of madness, mayhem, and vulnerability with effortless ease.
- Saul Muerte
Catch the screening of Fingers at the Sydney Underground Film Festival at the Factory Theatre, Marrickville.
Screening times and tickets available below:
