Hang Up!, Ignorance May Be Bliss

Do you really want to know? The secret of a great marriage is that husbands and wives keep secrets from each other. Don't believe me? Hence a short picture from Fatal Pictures, 2018's "Hang Up!" (directed by Richard Powell). I've met couples that claim they have no secrets from each other. I'm smart enough not to say "Bulls***" out loud. Unfortunately for the couple we're going to be talking about in this film, years of unspoken evil and horror will explode into a fiery tragedy which will serve as a bloody lesson (warning?) for all of us.

A butt call! We've all received them, and usually they provide a few laughs...at worst, some embarrassment. Emelia (Astrida Auza) butt calls Gary (Robert Nolan). Emelia is possessed...she's unloading, and is vicious. Gary is powerless to hang up, though he tries, and she has no idea he's listening to her rant. Is Emelia's viciousness warranted?  No spoilers here, decide for yourself. Apparently Emelia had many secrets she kept from her husband...had! As Gary listens, he begins to die in front of us, not literally, of course. Watching Gary sink into an abyss of hurtful realizations is heartbreaking. The cackling and vitriol of Emelia is dramatic (we only hear her voice), but the disintegration of Gary, mostly seen in his demeanor and expressions, is so sad.

This is a 14 minute tragedy so I will avoid much of the diatribe we witness. Uh oh...is Emelia really the villain here? Is Gary really an innocent and somewhat ignorant spouse? You'll see. Remember, Emelia is talking to someone and the 'who' of that question is quite frightening in itself. Then there is the ending. Cataclysmic and fiery...you'll see.

Fatal Pictures has put together a modern day tragedy with stakes so high, it makes us all cringe. Perhaps a bit of insanity is thrown at us in what we hear, or perhaps a graphic chronicling of a decades old horror story...whichever, it gets ugly fast. The performances by Mr. Nolan and Ms. Auza are both heartbreaking and chilling...as is the plot that unfolds. To see "Hang Up!" on YouTube, just click on this link. View Hang Up! on YouTube