A Technology themed anthology film has just been released on Amazon Prime in the UK titled “Merge” check out the trailer here –
Here is what we thought of the unique and somewhat intriguing combination of short films brought into one.
“Merge” brings together five individual short films between 15-20 minutes in duration each all with a connection to Technology. As filmmaker myself I always praise anyone who tries to think outside the box and try something unique and different from the rest of the crowd. With that in mind I will give perks to the filmmakers behind “Merge” Bela Baptiste, Dalano Barnes and Richard Fenwick for their originality . However this is a pure case of huge ambition outgrowing their realistic budget. When you are relying heavily of the use of VFX the money really does speak on the screen and at times these short films felt very student like. With that being sad the premise of these films do hit home with the new World we are living in and that fact we put all our lives on the line when it comes to modern technology.
Film Stills Courtesy Of Cine Circle
The first opening film titled “Angst” introduces you to a World where there is no feeling and everyone is immune to any emotion. This results in people turning to a new drug which gives them a buzz of fear. The story leaves you wanting to know more what is the true purpose of the drug and how it actually effects humans, there is something sinister about it. What let’s this film down is the ADR voiceover of the main character/narrator played by a male character who has feminine features and qualities but a deep masculine voice just doesn’t match up for me.
Film Stills Courtesy Of Cine Circle
The next film “When Unfettered” delivered a much more slick production. A film that tells a story of Cyborg who has lost it’s purpose in life after their owner sadly passes away. They go soul searching in the community and help many individuals without the need for something in return. However when the humans realise they are a Cyborg their reactions says it all and there is clear divide between humans and these cyborgs. What I like most about this was the performance from Ashley Whelan who portrays Ash the Cyborg channelling here inner Robocop and Terminator. The story really pulls on your heartstrings and make you feel empathetic for Ash at the end.
Film Stills Courtesy Of Cine Circle
Moving on to the third film “Soulmate” this had a real Matrix style theme, where everyone lives in a A.I created World where they are controlled by a major corporation. A tech worker due to the lack of human connection decides to create herself inside the A.I. world and purposely meets her soulmate. As this is against the law an investigation is launched to find the culprit, she deletes all existence of her A.I. character which is heart-breaking for her. This film did drag and the over acting from the lead and lack of dialogue didn’t help matters. 
Number 4 was “The First Time I Never Met You” a somewhat time travelling themed film which left me more confused than informed. A man trying to recreate his first date with his partner to fix their relationship is what I got from this film. The vague moments from the lead character played by Eric Kole just increases my lack of understand for the plot.
Last but not least the fifth film was “The Man Behind the Machine” another Cyborg based storyline. This time they gain emotions by themselves and turn on their humans (something we haven’t seen before) but again this one stood out from the collection maybe the acting experience from Robert Firth help proceedings and ensure I was more engaged with the film.
Overall “Merge” was 1hour 17 minutes of intriguing stories with poor execution. The idea to combine short stories that have one theme “Technology” is an idea I happily entertain if the production quality meets the required level to deliver on such a story. Sadly majority of these films fell short of that mark. However two films “When Unfettered” and “The Man Behind The Machine” impressed me. These were stripped back with less VFX and more emphasis on the performance from the actors, which made these films stand out above the rest.
My verdict on “Merge” is
2/5 Cyborgs
Sadly their ambition outweighed their budget massively.
You can watch “Merge” now on Amazon Prime in the UK –https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/video/detail/B0G2MRLS5Y
Please let us know what you think and whether you agree with me.