The Key
A businessman quests through a horrifying hell scape in search of
a key that will finally unlock his darkest desires, but at what cost?
What’s the key to a successful horror-fantasy short? Well, if Pans Labyrinth is any indication, tragic tales feed on eerie imagery. A heavy dose of mystery helps, too.
From the start, Matthew Gilpin’s The Key serves up both. Featuring a protagonist with no name – known simply as “The Man” – Key’s descent into madness begins with an elevator. Not just any elevator. In this topsy-turvy world, buttons on the top START at zero… increasing as they go down. Next to the “zero” button: a single keyhole.
But that’s not The Man’s focus. Dressed in his corporate finest, The Man steps in and selects “Fifty”. The bottom floor. Which brings him… where?
Reaching the ‘basement’, the doors slide open revealing – what looks like a street filled with vagrants. Is The Man still in the building? Given the balls of light dangling from a ceiling, who can really tell?
A homeless man approaches. Babbling, he swears he knows The Man from the First Floor - and claims he’s been there himself before. Revolted, The Man blows him off and starts walking. The terrain grows stranger with every twist and turn.
And in every little detail: more symbolism. In the businessman’s travels, an Iron Gate looms. A Masked Man dressed in rags gate-keeps. Beyond it, a red-hot ball of metal glows. A terrified woman huddles in a corner, cradling raw, burned hands. Nearby: a massive mountain of coal; the titular “Key” shining on top. Why has The Man journeyed to Floor Fifty… and what grotesqueries is he willing to commit for whatever goal he’s come here to achieve?
About those ingredients for a successful fantasy short: any tale spinner is doomed without a third factor, Karma. The Key has that, too – in ironic spades. A tale which lives and breathes on rich visuals, this ethereal short is best grabbed by a director who can conjure cinematic magic – either in 3d post or 2d animation. If you’re the master of either (or know someone who is) The Key may be the tool you need to unlock bringing a unique, surreal moral tale to life!