Stucco (2019) Poster

(2019)

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5/10
Stucco: The unofficial deep throat sequel?
Platypuschow13 April 2023
Plot

In Stucco (U. S.), an agoraphobic woman finds a suspicious hollow wall in her house.

Cast

For a short this is loaded with names, fronted by True Blood actress Janina Gavankar and fellow roster members Rutina Wesley and Deborah Ann Woll. We also have Arrow's Colton Haynes, Will & Grace star Debra Messing, Michael Ealy and rising star Emmy Raver-Lampman. Lead Janina Gavankar also wrote and directed, so hats off there.

Verdict

Now when I say it tells the story I want to be clear that I mean that very loosely, very loosely indeed.

We see our leading lady living in her apartment when a hole that she created begins to widen, an entity lives on the other side and she forms a baffling relationship with it.

Standing at around 18 minutes it's a bizarre piece, very arthouse yet visually really quite impressive. With very little dialogue it focuses entirely on atmosphere and aesthetics which to its credit it does well, if only the plot was a tad more coherent.

If you're looking for something that makes absolutely no sense but looks the part then look no further than stucco.

Breakdown + Looks great + Solid cast
  • Colton Haynes
  • Skin crawling
  • Incoherent nonsense


Rants

There's something about "Body" horror that just gets under my skin, I suppose that's the point but it's certainly not my genre. After watching multiple movies about degenerative viruses and even stds I'm very burned out. Could this constitute as one? I don't see why not. If body horror was on lsd and the writer was feeling frisky.
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7/10
Break on through to the other side! Warning: Spoilers
I thought this was interesting and it ultimately turned out to be a quite well done metaphorical horror short, although I didn't totally get every aspect of it, I started going off it a little when it seemed that it was headed in a strange pseudo-sexual direction with its story..but the ending really made it for me and I liked how the truly freaky chair of fused beckoning hands behind the sinister hole in the wall was a fleshy metaphor for her own fears, and it really surprised me when it was revealed that she'd broken out of her mental prison without realizing it and what the tiny spot of light in the darkness in the wall really signified, not brilliant exactly but a very cool and Interesting dark psychological short about a woman breaking free of her self-induced chains, glad I watched it, only thing I didn't quite figure out was that incredibly gross snogging scene! X.
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fascinating
Kirpianuscus11 March 2020
A fascinating short film, using the tools of horrors for reflection of psychological crisis. Well crafted, inspired using pieces of the story, giving a memorable scene about the temptation and the resistence against flesh throne and the best end. A film about loneliness and expressions of deep fears.
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8/10
I'm never hanging a picture or sitting in a chair again...
sammoony-6788612 July 2020
This was bizarre in the most tantalizing way. It takes such a simple idea and runs with it to a point where it makes you constantly wonder where it's going, without being directionless. That's kind of rare to see in a short film.

It's definitely not for everyone, though. There are some sexual and visceral moments that I like in a movie, but I can see people being off-put. Think Cronenberg with some Kafka tossed in.

It's challenging and avant-garde. Definitely worth the time.
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9/10
A Haunting Short
HadiAriyan0731 March 2020
OMG very scary and the production design is awesome, it's part horror drama and part body horror, it's a promising debut by Janina Gavankar
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8/10
Very well done
foxtografo19 December 2021
Great performance from Janina Gavankar, as the main character and director and writer.

Solid, Interesting story with a satisfying ending, well complemented with the technical aspect, great cinematography, good practical effects and sound.

An all round great short film, I will be looking more from her.
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