Catastrophic scenarios about the future of the planet are no longer a novelty, but the fascination with which we watch them always goes beyond these thematic prejudices. One such fascinating project not only through its dark and plausible atmosphere, but also through its impactful imagery is ‘INSECTARIUM‘, which imagines a possible future of a pre/post-apocalyptic Paris in which mutant insects have started a war against humanity. Likewise, the fictional universe created by Kilian Thomas is based on the pessimistic depiction of a planet that has depleted its food resources, the only existing food being, in fact, insects. In other words, this futuristic nightmare adopts the “Eat or be eaten” principle. However, the project is based not only on a flow of violent images meant to fuel the adrenaline craving of the spectators, since the strongest element of this construct lies, in fact, in the remnants of humanity that can survive such a disaster. Not coincidentally, the degradation of the planet is complemented by a brief x-ray of humanity that, like insects, has involved to a larval behavioural stage. Thus, the moments of intimacy consumed inside a couple obsessed with an irremediable loss are counterpointed by the social jungle supporting through its monstrosity the degrading panorama of a hostile Earth.
Marked by the loss of her son, Lisa tries to find a way to save humanity from extinction. Despite the advice of her husband Mickaël, she refuses to abandon her research, even though she is far from finding a solution against the mutant insects hat have invaded the world. Tensions within the couple, however, anticipate another tragic event.
Despite its small size, the project signed by Kilian Thomas manages to create a compact and homogeneous fictional universe that has all the characteristics to be developed into a memorable feature film. This well-thought-out structural cohesion condensing into a thrilling experience a credible scenario about the collapse of planetary existence enjoys the visionary freshness of an intelligent director who manipulates the darkly magnetic chromatic and gripping sound inflections with remarkable professionalism. ‘INSECTARIUM’ is a terrifying and well-mastered short film that challenges the viewer to an intense visceral experience.
For the cohesion of the cinematographic substance that authentically captures the imminence of the final extinction and for the strength of the characters that counterpoint the monstrosity of a primitive world, ‘INSECTARIUM’ was awarded with the Film of the Month distinction in the April 2020 edition of TMFF.
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