-Written by John Cajio.
2024 HOLLYSHORTS FILM FESTIVAL REVIEW!
Depression is a Beast is a short documentary that definitely does not suck. Focusing on one woman’s struggle with depression, the nearly twelve minute documentary provides a brutally honest look at the debilitating mental illness.
Jenna Kanell is an actor best known for her roles in horror flicks like Terrifier and Renfield. But even as she experiences the emotional rush of screaming or battling her way through monsters and beasts on screen, she is constantly battling another beast, one she cannot run away from no matter how hard she tries: depression.
There are several highlights in this documentary that’s light on length but heavy on content. Foremost among them has to be Jenna’s utter frankness and incredible vulnerability as she describes how depression affects her. There is a throughline to her story: describing the latent generational trauma of her Jewish heritage; having an early fascination with horror films; the depression diagnosis and how it affected her; all the way through accepting it and living with it due in part to professional help through therapy. Jenna frequently looks uncomfortable as she describes all of these things in front of the camera. It’s hard to watch at times; but it’s also compelling, especially seeing the strength of her resolve at the cathartic moments.
As Jenna describes various aspects of her depression, a number of animated sequences play—primarily in the style of a horror graphic novel or comic book. These sequences are an exceptional way to accent and mark key parts of Jenna’s journey with depression.
The music is solid. Using long extended dissonances or rapidly shifting abrasive sounds to build to and highlight the low points and thumping electronica to add weight to Jenna’s resolve as she comes to terms with her depression, the music doesn’t miss and it doesn’t subtract. It adds meaning and content.
There is a moment of levity involving a cell phone, and I am glad Director Courtney Dixon opted to keep it in. It serves as a nice reminder of the human in all of us.
If you have the opportunity to see Depression is a Beast, I strongly advise taking the twelve minutes it takes to see it. Every frame serves a purpose. And if you’re like me, when you get to the end, you will wish it was longer.
Directed by Courtney Dixon.
Starring Jenna Kanell.
9/10 = DROP EVERYTHING AND WATCH IT NOW (IT DEFINITELY DOES NOT SUCK)
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