If you think a film only seven minutes long wouldn’t be worth your time, then it would be a sure bet that you haven’t seen Chemical 12-D. There is not a moment wasted in this short. Each moment builds upon the next until we discover the true effect of this mysterious chemical.

I wrote about this film some time ago, and I was fortunate to be contacted by director Mac Elridge and director of photography, Dave Wagenaar. Both were kind enough to set up a screening of the film and I have to say, it knocked my socks off. It’s one of those films that sticks with you long after the credits have rolled and the theater emptied.

The story takes place in the aftermath of some sort viral apocalypse. Infected people walk the streets like zombies, smearing the asphalt with their blood. Dr. Michael Frank is at work, frantic to find a newly infected specimen in order to test out his new serum which he calls Chemical 12-D. It is the discovery of the newly infected “specimen” that starts a journey which ends in disappointment, then tragedy.

For me, the best type of films tell a different story from the one onscreen. While Dawn of the Dead (1978) was about a group of survivors, trapped in a mall, the movie underneath the movie was about the emptiness of consumer culture. This movie is no different, telling a different story that no parent would dare fathom. It may be the end of the world, but love and loss are still in play.

The film is professional through and through. The lighting is wonderful. The sound quality (often the Achilles heel of independent productions) is crystal clear. The acting from the survivors to the infected are professional. The music is melancholic as if wafting like smoke from the emptiness of the human soul. And the gore … oh my my. You’ll be clutching your chest for a week after you see this. In short, this is a professional film, telling a meaningful story that stays with you long after you finish watching.

Keep your eyes on these filmmakers. They’re going places.

Verdict: See it!

Chemical 12-D Trailer (youtube.com <- new window)
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