One of the true signs of a talented indie filmmaker lies within their ability to allow the audience to forget that they are actually watching an indie film. All to often the incidentals get in the way and clog the only sure fire route to film enjoyment. Sure, a lot of times we give indie filmmakers props for having the nerve to actually go out there and make a film, and quite often we can be a bit too forgiving knowing that there are terrible limitations for the indie filmmakers of today. But every once in a while an indie filmmaker and an indie flick comes along that allows us to appreciate it for what it truly is, a fine example of talented filmmaking. Jeff Thomas is one such filmmaker, and the indie production of 13 Seconds is one such flick.

As a horror film, 13 Seconds boasts many virtues that make it stand out in a crowd. One of the elements that Jeff Thomas successfully manages to convey is a true sense of cinematic style. Sadly, a sense of style is what's missing from most indie productions of today, and that usually unaccounted for sense of style is what undeniably separates the men from the boys. The boys are the one's who have the balls to make indie flicks that are usually just OK (if they're lucky) while the men (or women) are the one's who truly deserve to be making these films and in turn only leave us screaming for more. Jeff Thomas is not just one of the boys...he's definitely one of the men. In setting up the story of 13 Seconds, you're almost going to be easily let down for a fall. The problem is, I can tell you what happens, but there is really no way for me to successfully convey how the story is actually executed and the successful execution of 13 Seconds is where this film really shines. Keep this in mind.

When a group of band mates venture to an old and long abandoned boarding school to record their new album they don't realize that they are in for a night of hell...literally. Someone or dare I say, something in the school is trying to communicate with them. Unfortunately, this is not a form of friendly communication, as whatever it is that's tracking them down will do everything in its power to see to it that these kids do not leave the school...ever, even going so far as to cause their cell phones to bleed make the engines disappear out of their cars (yes, you read that right).

To make a bad situation even worse, there's an art gallery in the school that features eerily familiar paintings, right alongside some mysteriously blank paintings. The paintings quickly become the victims' crystal ball as said paintings ultimately predict certain doom to be found within. It all culminates in a scary as hell mind-fuck of an ending that may be a bit cinematically familiar, yet it's handled in such a way as to seem all too brand spankin' new.

Amazingly enough 13 Seconds shines through as an effective indie film, and managed to do something that few flicks seem to do today...scare the pants off of me. The setup that I described above is of minor consequence, because once things get rolling, 13 Seconds practically puts the viewer in a chokehold and does not let go until the end credits roll. 13 Seconds paints the viewer a picture of a true house of horrors, with something disturbing and frightening around every corner. The beauty of 13 Seconds lies within its understated simplicity. Thomas makes excellent use of his locations (the old boarding school is creepy as hell) and sticks to some old school scare tactics that still pack a powerful punch. While playing off primarily as a ghost story gone awry, there is ample scare time brought forth not only from your requisite cinematic scare tactics, but also from the use of shadows, rattling door knobs, a light whisper or even something that's haunted us pretty much since the dawn of time...what's under that bed? Trust me when I say that you DON'T want to know the answer to this one!

While it's never excessive or too over the top, there are also ample amounts of blood-drenched gore present as well. 13 Seconds manages to successfully blend these subtle moments of pure suggested terror with the bright red squishy stuff. In addition to a few moments of some slashing and hacking there is a also an effective scene in which one poor soul is hung upside down, hands nailed to the wall, gutted and then strangled with his own intestines (in pretty graphic detail). The other standout effect scene (but NOT the only other effect scene in the film mind you) involves a well-executed and viscous hand through a bare chest. All of the effects (whether squishy or creature related) are top notch and extremely impressive all the way.

Now, as enjoyable an experience as 13 Seconds was, that's not to say that it wasn't without its share of troubles. Some of the dialogue and performance are a bit spotty and do have a tendency to fall a bit flat at times. They'll pick up steam for a moment and then unfortunately trail back down a bit again, they're never really consistent. The foley (sound effects and overdubs) work is a bit aggressive, although the creepy ambient sounds and effects are still extremely effective and I also noted the dialogue to shift in and out of sync a bit throughout. The beauty of 13 Seconds is that it's just jam packed with scares and if one doesn't get you, the next one is sure to. Many are effective, while some are not, including a creepy tricycle moment that was a bit too A Nightmare on Elm Street-ish for my tastes. Quibbles aside, 13 Seconds is a hell of an indie horror feature and these offenses are easily forgivable. There are few films that can boast a 100% success rate, but kudos to those who run a close second and allow the good to undeniably outweigh the bad.

When all is said and done, 13 Seconds is the type of indie film that deserves the attention of fans of the genre. This is a much more mature production than many of the other indie flicks being pumped out these days. 13 Seconds joins the ranks of other recent successful indie flicks like HORROR, The Collingswood Story and The Dead Link. Jeff Thomas is most certainly destined for bigger and better things, let's hope that he doesn't get sucked into the corporate structure of Hollywood and he continues to make horror films the way that he wants to make them. 13 Seconds is the product of a talented indie filmmaker and crew with true visions of cinematic terror. Keep an eye out for this one folks, cause if 13 Seconds doesn't scare you to death...then you must be already dead.