Ian Eagle (Malcolm Mills) is a struggling actor–he’s had trouble finding work, but his agent, Morty (Dan Berkey), thinks he’s just found an opportunity for Ian to get back to work. Throughout the course of Ian’s day, however, he realizes that he’s able to see just seconds or minutes into the future. He’s unsure of how to use this new gift, but he knows that there is potential for great things. Yikes is the story of Ian attempting to find himself and come to terms with his new, prophetic gift.
Yikes, while it uses a number of things to deliver comedy to its viewers, finds racist humor being the most powerful vehicle by which Writer-Director Michael Fodera brings comedy to his audience. I recently had a discussion with a friend about the idea of nothing being off limits when it comes to comedy–and it seems that Fodera subscribes to that idea. I love the edgy comedy about Ian not fitting in a role due to his aesthetic. It’s laugh-out-loud funny, it blurs the line between what many might feel is acceptable and unacceptable, and it’s effective.
When Ian begins reading lines for his audition, it appears that he struggles to convey emotion and to accurately bring to life the character as intended. What’s so brilliant about this scene is that Mills is incredibly talented, and that he’s able to dumb down his acting in order project comedy and make Yikes better. Throughout the rest of Yikes Mills does a wonderful job of driving the film forward and being the main component of its success. Without Mills the comedy doesn’t reach viewers, the emotion doesn’t rise to the surface as intended, and Yikes fails to do what Fodera had hoped it to. Mills is the backbone of Yikes, and his vigor allows the film to shine brightly from beginning to end.
With all of the craziness going on around us, I often discuss with friends and family some “what if” scenarios. What if you were in a dangerous situation, or you saw someone else’s life being threatened–what would you do? It’s always difficult to answer those questions, and I believe that you have to physically be present in such a situation in order to truly know how you’d react–but Yikes analyzes an idea similar to this. As Ian begins to understand his new gift, he’s tasked with determining how to use it, or even if he should use it at all. Exploring this sentiment aligns itself with those “what if” situations, and it allows viewers to dive into the film and Ian’s story–but not just so that they can better understand Yikes’ protagonist, but themselves as well.
There is more to this comedy than initially meets the eye, and it becomes easy to fall in love with what Fodera creates throughout Yikes. In this seemingly simple comedy about an actor struggling to find work, viewers are taken on an interesting journey into the human mind using dark comedy to guide the way. With numerous laugh-out-loud moments, and even more “ah ha” moments, Yikes is a short film sure to reach viewers.
Written & Directed by Michael Fodera.
Starring Alex Malcolm Mills, Dan Berkey, Al Thompson, Matthew Fodera, Kendra Lingerfelt, etc.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐½/10
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