Reflective Encounters

“The title of Ida Melum’s film may recall George A. Romero’s zombie classic, but this heart-rending and sentimental film is far from a graveyard of ideas. A blue tinted bedroom draped with sleep self-help books and powered by easy-listening podcasts seems to be the only ambience that will allow Ruby to sleep. When a power cut strikes, Ruby is forced to battle at least 5 past versions of herself in an effort to overcome her haunted past and get a good night’s sleep. Melum cascades through Ruby’s worst and most embarrassing memories - like stuffing her adolescent bra with tissues, or drunkenly trying to force her way into a nightclub. With her sleep-deprived self there to watch, past, present, and the imaginary collide in one smoothly cut sequence.

Melum’s stop-motion textures, like the lines under Ruby’s tired eyes, build a world that feels real, and fully inhabited by odd characters and background touches. It feels handmade, with small touches of CGI that emphasise horror or unreality. Jessica Dennis’ superb vocal performance runs the gamut of strength, vulnerability, and carries the audience through the changes to bring the animation to even livelier dimensions. As Night of the Living Dead pulls its various threads together, the strength of Melum’s vision, and the animated persona of Ruby, is staggering.”

— Ben Flanagan