Poison
Written and directed by Corey Davis, ‘Poison’ is a drama short that stars Corey Davis, Aleasha Burgess, Adam Bryant, Tyrone Walker and Dallas Norfleet.
Poison is the story of Darnell, a timid and unassuming young man who has been hiding a terrible secret. For three years, Darnell has been in a relationship with Donna, a girl who is controlling, manipulating and extremely abusive. Coming home one night late after chilling out with friends, Darnell will find the abuse and manipulation reaching a crescendo. As the night descends into madness, Darnell musters up the courage to leave his sycophantic girlfriend, only for Donna to do something completely unexpected.
Being both the writer and the director of the project, Corey Davis has perfectly captured how a manipulative woman makes a timid man dance to her own tune. Nailing down the nuances of an abusive relationship, Davis makes the short a riveting thrill ride as Darnell finds himself finally standing up to Donna after years of abuse. The fantastic performances aside, another thing that works exceptionally well is the score which not only adds a layer of tension to the entire narrative and it also ups the ante as the two characters go head to head in a battle of wits.
Another great thing about the short is its cast which perfectly brings the dysfunctional relationship to life. Corey Davis plays Darnell in a way that makes the audience greatly sympathise with his conundrum. A level-headed young man, Darnell finds himself bokeh by Donna’s abuse and must find a way to make her logically understand that he is done with her. Furthermore, Aleasha Burgess, as Donna, is a force to be reckoned with as she both physically and mentally overpowers Darnell every chance she gets. Donna knows Darnell’s insecurities, and she exploits them for her own gain to the fullest degree. However, years of abuse have made Darnell hard, and he has finally decided to part ways. Unable to let Darnell go, Donna (in her last ditch attempt) does a shocking thing, one that will ruin Darnell’s life forever.
Riveting, tense and nerve-racking, Poison is a fantastic short that features heightened stakes and fantastic performances. With a third-act twist that will hit you like a sledgehammer, Poison is a pertinent portrayal of abusive relationships and how people with untreated mental problems make lives difficult for both themselves and others.