The simplest way to describe Succubus à Distance is as a music video without music. What does that mean for you? It means the story is not the focus. In this case, it means there is no spoken dialogue. There are two characters, and one doesn’t get the opportunity to depict any personality because she is sleeping. I am not saying that all of this is wrong. I am merely describing the nature of the beast.

Succubus à Distance is written and directed by Hal Sinden. It’s a surreal short about a sleeping young woman (Raven Victoria) in the midst of an ominous dream about a mysterious woman (Syn Ariad).

The first thing to grab my attention here was the editing. I wouldn’t call the editing good or bad, although it may not be one’s preference. The editing is old school. There is a lot of fading, the sort one might find in any number of erotic movies from days long past. Erotic is one of the things Succubus à Distance aims to be. I believe it visually captures that, despite every scene being a solo affair. Whether one might find the short erotic in any other way would likely vary from person to person. Imagery and cinematography are its strengths.

The story here may not be as mysterious as they might have liked, but the imagery oozes mystery. The lighting is super effective, and the whole thing has a great atmosphere. Syn Ariad is a natural on camera. She’s subtle, but she still conveys an air of intensity. The quality of the audio is good. However, due to the nature of the audio, it’s forgettable. Five minutes may be too long for these kinds of sounds to persist, and there was a point of diminishing returns. By the end, the audio was so far in the back of my mind that I might as well have been listening to nothing.

There is one major problem with Succubus à Distance. I felt absolutely nothing as I was watching it, and I felt absolutely nothing after I finished watching it. The plot is simple, and the events that happen on screen are even more simple. I can’t help but wish this was more than a great photoshoot with a dreaming woman fading in and out of it. There are no highs, and there are no lows. For all the things that are done well here, I didn’t find the experience entertaining or captivating. It’s like if a butcher started selling hamburgers. You buy one, and it’s a thick delicious sirloin beef patty on two translucent paper-thin buns. The beef is quality, but where are my buns!? You have to bring more to the table than meat to make a good burger. You have to bring more to the table than this to make an engaging short. Hopefully, this is a step towards bigger and better things.