Written and directed by Vincent Di Lella, ‘Method’ is a 2021 horror drama short film that stars Deniella Alexis, Jonathan Miller and Atesh Rampersaud. ‘Method’ depicts the story of a shy and introverted college drama student named Sarah whose method acting assignment goes off script and begins to manifest unintended consequences.

Di Lella has taken inspiration from other horror classics such as Repulsion by Roman Polanski, Carrie by Brian De Palma and Suspiria by Dario Argento when making this film and it shows. With a protagonist gradually descending into madness and being consumed by dark forces lurking all around, Di Lella not only pays homage to the films mentioned above but also charts a dark and disturbing story that challenges the protagonist in a way that feels fresh. The script, also by Di Lella, is on point in illustrating the desperation of Sarah as she is forced to accept the unconventional assignment or risk failing her class. A sympathetic protagonist turning to the darkness is a slippery slope to get right but Di Lella manages to stick the landing in this regard flawlessly.

Speaking of performances, Deniella Alexis as Sarah is the star of the story and she carries the film single-handedly. Portraying an actor with an increasingly unstable mind with nuance, Alexis’s performance is terrifying and shocking. Not only does she manage to elucidate the pitfalls of method acting with considerable ease, her expressions and sudden changes in emotion are a sight to behold. Displaying the side effects of the intense battle taking place deep within, Sarah finds herself losing control to another, more deadly part of her subconscious. Did she really become another thing entirely or was it merely a fever dream? Di Lella’s film leaves this question up to the viewer to decide.

Another notable aspect of the film is its wild cinematography. Vincent Di Lella frames the film in a way that showcases the visual differences between Sarah’s normal self and her animalistic side. The camera zooms in shakily as the battle in Sarah’s mind ensues and as her feral side comes out on top, a bluish hue signals the rise of her alternate self. This, coupled with the unconventional shots and hand held cinematography, elucidates that Sarah has fallen off the deep end in her pursuit of method acting.

Superbly acted and directed, ‘Method’ illustrates how a simple assignment about method acting can tragically go sideways. Deniella Alexis as Sarah is a revelation and the film is an intense exploration of how deep commitment to a role can have unforeseen consequences on a young mind. Vincent Di Lella has made a haunting horror short, one that will stay with you long after it has ended. Therefore, Vincent Di Lella’s ‘Method’ impresses in more ways than one and we can’t wait to see what Di Lella comes up with next.