The sophomore feature film from writer/director Mikey Okonkwo, Granny $tamp firmly sets itself in the crime and psychological thriller subset of horror films. Done in his signature guerilla style, this feature focuses on one man’s want for redemption that is taken away when he decides to join a group doing crimes against the elderly.
A recently freed parolee, Barney Thompson, attempts to rehabilitate into the society. Things go south, upon meeting a smooth talking, crook, John Smith.
Granny $tamp, IMDB
Barney is looking to turn over a new leaf after being released from prison. While cleaning up a local park, he is approached and given the chance of a lifetime; that promise to set him on the right track via loads and loads of cash is definitely not the right choice, but Barney needs (and desperately wants) the money. Stealing from grannies is the name of the game, and Barney finds himself all too good at the ruse, easily scamming the elderly out of their money. Unfortunately for him, his path towards redemption is permanently closed, and people start to get hurt.
Like the previously-reviewed Animal Trap, Granny $tamp is said to be part of the Dogme 95 movement. With my not-so-expert opinion on the movement, I’d say Granny $tamp abides mostly by the movement with natural sounds and handheld filming techniques. Other aspects — like specific lighting and use of filters — not so much. On one hand, I can appreciate the want to abide by this hyper-specific movement and reach peak control over the film; but the other hand does have an understanding for “rules” of filmmaking. Granny $tamp can claim to be Dogme 95, but most will see it as Dogme 95 in spirit only.
Story-wise, Granny $tamp is on the slower side. It is an hour long, but does feel slightly longer due to prolonged shots of Barney wandering around. On that same note, there are definitely no jumpscares to be seen (which makes complete sense being that this is a crime-filled psychological thriller). So while I wasn’t cowering in fear, I was left with the thought of what was going through Barney’s mind trying to fight his way out of his predicament. I also want to point out small moments of laughs, particularly when the criminals question Barney’s apparent inadequacy with firearms, being a Black man in LA; I did get a bit of a chuckle out of that.
Being that Granny $tamp is my second Okonkwo viewing, I can clearly see an emerging style, look, and feel of his films. Not as arthouse as Animal Trap, but still niche enough, Granny $tamp is a reach into outlier films horror fans may want to look into for a different sort of movie.
For more on Granny $tamp, follow writer/director Mikey Okonkwo on Instagram.
