“Robin’s Egg Blue” (2013): Guilt Haunts a Troubled Man in Psychological Thriller Short

A birdwatcher is tortured by guilt when he accidentally crushes two blue robin’s eggs, and no amount of consolation seems to help him in the psychological thriller short Robin’s Egg Blue. His despair worsens when he begins to be stalked by a mysterious creature.

Director Gorby Mu Fan Shih – working from a complex, effective screenplay by Sam Boyer – presents a truly chilling tale in Robin’s Egg Blue. Leon (Brian Foyster) enjoys a nice day at a park, watching birds while children play nearby. When he returns home to attend to one of his bird feeders, he is horrified when he steps on the eggs. Ruby (Erin Raftery), a kindly waitress at a diner that Leon frequents, tries to cheer him up. With each subsequent visit, though, Leon is more and more distressed. It’s no wonder, as maddening things happen at his home.

The performances in the short are top-notch. Brian Foyster gives a truly frightening turn as the initially mild-mannered Leon, who becomes increasingly unhinged. Foyster nails the several shades and subtleties of his character. Erin Raftery provides wonderful support as Ruby, breathing life into her character.

Gorby Mu Fan Shih helms Robin’s Egg Blue deftly, creating a gripping, well-paced thriller with horror overtones, and serving up a climax that packs a real wallop. The cinematography by Ryan Hendrickson and John Houselog is striking, as are the sound design and editing. Torin Borrowdale’s score adds to the tension.

Trust me when I say that Robin’s Egg Blue (http://gorbyshih.com/robin/) is the type of film that will remain on your mind for a long while after you have seen it. Unfortunately I cannot say why here because I want to keep my review as spoiler-free as possible, but I am certain that readers will find this short to be well worth seeking out.

Robin’s Egg Blue: (4 / 5)

Joseph Perry

Joseph Perry fell in love with horror films as a preschooler when he first saw the Gill-Man swim across the TV screen in "The Creature from The Black Lagoon" and Mothra battle Godzilla in "Godzilla Vs. The Thing.” His education in fright fare continued with TV series such as "The Twilight Zone" and "Outer Limits," along with legendary northern California horror host Bob Wilkins’ "Creature Features." His love for silver age and golden age comic books, including horror titles from Gold Key, Dell, and Marvel started around age 5.

He is a contributing writer for the "Phantom of the Movies VideoScope" and “Drive-In Asylum” print magazines and the websites Horror Fuel, Diabolique Magazine, The Scariest Things, B&S About Movies, and When It Was Cool. He is a co-host of the "Uphill Both Ways" pop culture nostalgia podcast and also writes for its website. Joseph occasionally proudly co-writes articles with his son Cohen Perry, who is a film critic in his own right.

A former northern Californian and Oregonian, Joseph has been teaching, writing, and living in South Korea since 2008.