Director: Jared Asher Harris

Writer: Harris

Cast: Jessica Ruth Bell, Rob Moore, Socorro Jones and David Fyne

FilmQuest Film Festival 2024 Screening: Saturday, November 2, 2024, the Velour Live Music Gallery in Provo, Utah

Screened at: Critics Screening Link, New York, 11/2/24

The most engaging movie experiences not only entertain and captivate an audience, regardless of their genre and subject matter, but also offer both viewers and the filmmakers a chance to heal. The new short fantasy horror comedy, ‘Meat Clever!,’ is doing just that. The movie is not only captivating audiences with its dark humor, but also by assuring them that they don’t have to feel helpless or alone when they’re faced with life’s biggest horrors.

Jared Asher Harris made his writing and directorial film debuts on ‘Meat Clever.’ He was inspired to make the short after he emerged from a tumultuous childhood plagued with chronic illness and tragedy. He further gained the confidence to pen and helm ‘Meat Clever!’ after Hozier asked him to pitch a music video for his song ‘All Things End,’ which went on to garner acclaim following its release last year.

Following the well-received release of the ‘All Things End’ music video, ‘Meat Clever!’ went on to debut at multiple Oscar-qualifying festivals. The project won the Best Horror Film award at the L.A. International Shorts Festival in July.

The comedy is now playing as part of the “Get Rich or Die Laughing” – Comedy Shorts Block #20 as an official selection at the FilmQuest Film Festival. The block is screening today at 11am MT at the Velour Live Music Gallery in Provo, Utah. ‘Meat Clever!’ is nominated for Best Fantasy Short and Supporting Actor – Short for Rob Moore at FilmQuest.

‘Meat Clever ‘ follows Wendy (Jessica Ruth Bell) as she unknowingly arrives in heaven with the titular butcher knife lodged in her head. She’s met by a welcoming woman (Socorro Jones), who, after greeting her and gently informs her she has died from her lethal injury.

As Wendy starts to come to terms with her gruesome fate, her killer (David Fyne) is welcomed to hell by the devil (Moore) following his equally horrific death. Wendy’s murderer initially doesn’t express regret or remorse for killing the innocent woman. His opinion about his life of crime doesn’t change until he realizes that without securing her forgiveness in the afterlife, he’s destined to become doomed for all eternity.

Much like Harris’ work on ‘All Things End,’ ‘Meat Clever!’ is also empowering through its macabre, surrealist and morbidly comedic undertones. The movie’s tone and character development is as blunt and subversive as it is contemplative and heartwarming.

Bell’s stellar performance as the initially naïve protagonist is the true standout of the short. The actress believably infuses Wendy with the strength to defend herself emphasizes the filmmaker’s message that people should stand up for themselves when they’re faced with dismay.

Moore also gives a standout performance in ‘Meat Clever!’ that proves he’s worthy of his Supporting Actor – Short nomination at FilmQuest. The actor infiltrates his performance as the devil with hilarious one-liners that shows even he questions the actions of, and lack of remorse from, Wendy’s killer. The story shines in the fact that a character, who’s usually portrayed as the ultimate villain, is presented as a surprising voice of reason who questions the actions of a mortal man during his time on Earth.

Besides the strong character development presented in the comedy, the project’s visual aesthetics also emphasizes the story’s message of the importance of self-awareness, particularly when interacting with other people. Cinematographer Griffin Voth balanced intimate close-ups with detached wide shots that are immersed in bright lighting during Wendy’s scenes with shadows during her killer’s scenes. Such shots emphasize the difference of morals and personalities between the protagonist and antagonist.

‘Meat Clever!’ is a visually stylized, emotional-driven fantasy horror comedy. The movie highlights the protagonist and antagonist’s differing personalities and motivations through their character developments, which are driven by both hope and fear. Through stellar acting and cinematography, the movie celebrates the horror of death in entertaining and captivating ways.