Helemaal het Einde & I Like It Rough: Review. By Aytron Lewis-Avery.

For an independent film, some may be surprised to know that Helemaal het Einde is nothing short of a psychological thriller. At first, I thought the concept was too ambitious. It turned out, I was to be pleasantly surprised. Natasja Schaafsma’s combat skills are put to good use, with a very impressive action scene towards the end.

The rest of the movie deals with all sorts of strange obsessions and histories. The set design is masterful and intricate, a perfect backdrop for the conflict set between three characters, played by Isis Caljé, Joyce Tevreden, and of course Schaafsma. The director (Milan Swagers) has also included numerous jump cuts, giving us an eerie and surreal vibe, as if the entire plot had been contrived beforehand.

In eight minutes, the director somehow managed to make a plot that has many layers of meaning. I must praise the actors’ performances. They managed to convey innuendos and messages without words, and only with their demanors. This requires a mastery of the art. Helemaal het Einde more than deserves the accolades picked up on its festival run.

Schaafsma’s other film, I Like it Rough, is a painful romantic tragicomedy, directed alongside Sierra Dann. Keith Antony Murphy does his own stunts, once again a major highlight of the film. Once again, the film is supposed to blend traditional and experimental, giving us a professional feel with a very low budget. 

I Like it Rough has given us something at the same time very relatable and rather cliché. A man goes for a one-night stand, however, the two people involved have a completely different idea of what their relationship is. As the film progresses, their misunderstandings heighten until it seems like they both are living in their own worlds. The filmmaker has swallowed us up into both worlds, quite an impressive achievement. And we are to wonder: do we feel sorry or make fun of these people? This is the very definition of black comedy. 

I would predict a very interesting and curious future for Schaafsma, full of surprises and remarkable artistry.

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