The Tattooist (2018)
9/10
The Tattooist - A Trailer That Needs to be Made Into a Feature Film
19 October 2018
The Tattooist follows the dark obsessions of a tattooist whose studio is acclaimed for its exceptional and intricately crafted tattoos. Those who receive his prized masterpiece are drugged, imprisoned, and then forced to fight their fears in a race against the clock to escape. Can they escape or will they become victims of The Tattooist?

The Tattooist trailer is beautifully shot and packed with imagery that teases of an extreme horror film and an extremely beautiful film. Unlike many horror movies, writer/director/producer Michael Wong's The Tattooist draws from a large pallet of colors while simultaneously showing brilliance in its use of color overlay at key moments. The pink glow of the neon sign and the black light lit laboratory are unmistakable and will resonate with fans of artistic horror.

Indie filmmaker Michael Wong transitioned to Indie films after 16 years as an ad agency art director and creative director, and his artistic abilities are clearly on display here. It's little wonder that he won more than 50 awards for his work as art director and creative director. Wong's work on ad campaigns for companies like Mercedes-Benz, Unilever, Johnson & Johnson, and Samsung honed his directorial eye and gave him an edge when entering filmmaking.

According to his biography, Wong "is the kind of collaborative thinker who's especially good at expanding on little thoughts and turning them into big ideas, with a strong and steady eye on making the work look and feel fresh", and this is undeniably evident in this 1:19 second trailer. Though brief, The Tattooist trailer is skillfully made with a clear understanding of the art of crafting a film as well as the needs of creating a story that captures the audience's attention. Beautiful cinematography and a series of shots that almost but not quite reveal what's in store for the eponymous antagonist's victims leave the viewer wanting more. Extreme gore in general and torture porn in particular often get criticized - even by fans of the horror genre, but Wong's vision is tantalizing in its brevity.

Malaysian-born Wong made his directorial debut in 2015 with The Story of 90 Coins, a short drama romance about an aspiring fashion designer who must betray herself and break a promise in order to realize her dream. The Story of 90 Coins made the film festival circuit, garnering over 60 awards or accolades, including Best Direction and Best Cinematography at Malta Short Festival, Best Drama and Best Cinematography at Los Angeles Film Awards, and Best Foreign Short at Los Angeles Independent Film Festival Awards. Though I'm not fond of romances, I'll definitely check out this 10 minute short purely to see more of Wong's work.

In addition to being nominated at many horror and independent film festivals, The Tattooist was an Official Selection for Midwest Horror Fest 2018, HorrorHaus Film Festival 2018, and Summer Scream Fest 2018. It won the Independent Horror Movie Awards (Aug) 2018 for Best Editing and Best Gore, Most Terrifying at Top Indie Film Awards (Aug) 2018, and Best Trailer/ Teaser at the Independent Shorts Awards (Aug) 2018.

Here's hoping Michael Wong's The Tattooist gets the backing because this is a horror movie we all need to see.
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