Review: THE BECKY CARMICHAEL FAN CLUB (2018)

THE BECKY CARMICHAEL FAN CLUB is a half-hour lesson in the price of fame from writer/director Andrew J.D. Robinson (WE KNOW YOU ARE HOME, WE ARE THE MISSING). It’s a plausible, and scary, take on identity theft and stalking.

Becky (Gabrielle Banville) was famous on YouTube for her singing. These days her voice is gone and she’s trying to live a more normal life. Reuniting with her estranged brother Jesse (Tristan Mcintosh) she slowly beginning to achieve her goal.

However, a sudden deluge of friend requests from strangers unsettles her, After being attacked while walking home by a man who’s shocked to find out she doesn’t like being jumped she knows something sinister is going on. She reaches out for help from a support group. But what is really going on, and who can she trust?

Beginning in black and white and shifting to color as Becky’s mood changes, THE BECKY CARMICHAEL FAN CLUB is a subtle and creepy piece reminiscent of an episode of THE TWILIGHT ZONE. Each step forward Becky takes just brings new questions even as everything is falling into believable yet horrifying place. Saying much more about the plot would spoil the final reveal so I’ll leave it at that.

I will say that THE BECKY CARMICHAEL FAN CLUB as well as Robinson’s other shorts are on YouTube as well as his webpage and you can, and should, check them out.