How far would you go to bring back someone you loved from the dead? After he is kidnapped, unlikeable office manager Ted is forced to “become” his captor’s deceased brother through sinister means. Ted must escape — or lose himself in the process.
Your name is David. Say it.
Jeremy, In the Flesh on Letterboxd
Inspired by the Covid-19 lockdown of the early 2020s, In the Flesh writer/director/producer Connor Doyle created a world for his actors that emulates a prison; protagonist Ted is literally imprisoned, and antagonist Jeremy is in a prison of grief and guilt. Jeremy forces Ted to read a script of the conversations had in old home videos of Jeremy and his brother, David. Through those videos and script reads, we catch glimpses of their relationship, and what has happened to David. Clearly Jeremy is deeply affected by David’s passing, because with each misstep Ted takes — not emoting correctly, delivering lines wrong — Jeremy becomes hostile, the director of unhealthy mourning. As Ted’s performance grows more realistic (and a red-circled calendar date approaches), Ted plans his escape.
All of that anxiety and anticipation leading up to the climax made me a terrible mess! Yelling at the screen, gasping, clutching my hands to my face, the works. In the Flesh took a psychological thriller and amped it up to 11. Ted (Tanner Goldberg) and Jeremy (Chad Malen) have this incredible dynamic that makes this feel real, especially the ending. It took the typical kidnapping movie and turned it into a dramatic reenactment you’d see on the newest Netflix serial killer documentary.
There’s a lot to think about here. With a mix of family dynamics, religious ideology, sickness, loss, guilt and grief, In the Flesh throws us into a pit of despair and longing that would make anyone do what Jeremy did. But to see it all played out — from an outside, removed position — is a horrifying tale of life and death. It is unsettling to see someone become so unhinged that they take their trauma out on someone else, replaying moments in their past that grow more and more insane as the story progresses. Again, the lead-up to the climax is outrageous.
For a 40-ish minute short, In the Flesh felt like it went by so fast. I was at the edge of my seat. I was plotting my escape right alongside Ted. I was wondering to myself what I would do in this scenario (y’know, just in case). In the Flesh is a scary situation — and a disturbingly understandable one. Major props to Doyle and the team because In the Flesh brought me into the lives of these two men and gave me a show that has kept me wide-eyed all day.
For more about In the Flesh, check out Hard Rime Productions on Instagram.
