When two goofball con artists, Brian Higgins (Timothy J. Cox) and Maria Snyder (Maria Natapov), make their way into the town of Mallas, MA, both the town, and the aforementioned con artists are in for a big surprise. Brian and Maria are pretending to be paranormal investigators, and the townspeople are afraid that spirits are haunting their houses. As the two meet homeowner Eddie (Eddie Nason) for the first time, both parties will discover things that they never expected, and the trajectory of their lives will be changed forever.
I know I’ve said it before, but watching a series of films in which Cox is present has been a pleasure over the course of the past few months. However, Mallas, MA may be his best performance to date. He’s cunning, emotional, and uniquely even-keeled throughout the course of the film, and he is able to invite viewers into this story of deception quite effortlessly. His performance is fluid, and he’s incredibly entertaining.
Part of what makes his character so enjoyable, other than his own talent, of course, is the writing. Brian, who initially appears to be very transparent to viewers, is actually multidimensional and riveting. As Brian develops, viewers are pulled further into his story and begin to appreciate a unique, but compelling scenario. On the surface, much like Brian, Mallas, MA, too, initially feels one-dimensional. I’d venture to guess that many may even ask themselves “who cares about a short film about fake paranormal investigators?” and the answer should be “everyone!” There is far more to this film than initially meets the eye, and it quickly becomes emotionally relevant.
There is something almost odd about this comedy slash drama, as, for the most part, I felt there wasn’t much of either throughout the majority of Mallas, MA. Sure, the overarching story that follows these con artists as they antagonize and lie to the people of Mallas is itself comedy, but I struggled to find any direct attempts at comedy. The approach toward comedy is incredibly subtle, and considerably dry, and while I’m open to this type of comedy, I feel that the series of writers intentionally left the film feeling odd but matter of fact, rather than comical or dramatic. It’s not until the closing moments that the drama becomes truly relevant, and this is where the film shines the brightest.
The emotion present in Mallas, MA, is, like the comedy, subtle, and requires viewers to read between the veritable lines and come to conclusions on their own. As the film comes to a close everything converges to make one, cohesive, and utterly dramatic scene. Cox’s facial expressions are captured at a number of different angles, bringing those expressions and the final act’s sentiments to the forefront of Mallas, MA. The emotional conclusion to this film wraps everything up brilliantly and allows viewers who may have grappled with their take on the film to fall in love with it. I’d be lying if I told you I wasn’t close to tears as Brian makes his final statements and the lives of many change forever.
Mallas, MA doesn’t necessarily struggle to get itself going, as I believe it was the intention of the writers, and director Sean Meehan, to allow the film to play out in a matter-of-fact fashion until the closing moments, but the film is slow to start. Again, those closing moments are what allow the writing, directing, cinematography, acting, and emotional relevance to shine. Yes, this film does take a bit of time before it begins moving at an appropriate pace, but Mallas, MA is less about the journey and more about the destination.
Directed by Sean Meehan.
Written by Daniel Bėrubė, Todd Mahoney, & Sean Meehan.
Starring Timothy J. Cox, Maria Natapov, Eddie Nason, Robyn Kaan, Andrea Sweeney Blanco, Uatchet Jin Juch, & Nekhebet Kum Juch.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐½/10
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