Ty Brueilly’s 7eventh 7irkle is not just a short film—it’s an unsettling journey into the subconscious, a fever dream that dares its audience to wrestle with fear, faith, and the fragile boundaries between salvation and damnation. As the eleventh entry in Brueilly’s ever-evolving Shucks Cinematic World, this 16-minute experimental horror short pushes further into the symbolic and surreal, immersing viewers in a kaleidoscope of images drawn from Dante’s Divine Comedy while layering in the filmmaker’s signature raw intensity.
From its opening imagery of serpents, owls, and horses to its haunting circus and masked gatherings, the film brims with allegory. A man’s plea for forgiveness to God cuts across visions of concerts, theater performances, and ritual-like gatherings. At one moment, belly dancers shimmer in color against an otherwise black-and-white palette; in another, dolls, wolves, and demons intermingle in wooded landscapes. Each frame feels deliberately unsettling, like a living poem spliced with nightmares.
Brueilly’s command of imagery is both visceral and poetic. Scenes of masked figures gnawing at sticks, demons lurking just out of frame, and a dinner table surrounded by blood-red hues invoke not only the seventh circle of Dante’s Inferno but also modern struggles with addiction, PTSD, and grief—themes Brueilly himself has said drive the film. The result is as emotional as it is disorienting, demanding reflection after every encounter.
What makes 7eventh 7irkle stand out is its ability to make the viewer complicit. Taglines like “How will you enter? How far will you go? Who will you become?” echo through the film, transforming it into more than cinema—it’s an experience, a confrontation. Even when the narrative feels elusive, the imagery captivates. There’s always something new to look at: fire, masks, angelic figures, and unsettling tableaus that blur the line between performance art and horror cinema.
Technically, Brueilly wears many hats—director, writer, composer, cinematographer, and editor—and it shows in the film’s unified yet chaotic vision. The music pulses with dark, otherworldly tones that drive the ritualistic atmosphere, enhancing both terror and wonder. Considering the film’s estimated budget of just $8,000, its ambition and scale are remarkable.
Premiering at the iconic TCL Chinese Theatres in Hollywood, 7eventh 7irkle signals Brueilly’s most daring leap yet. It’s a film that refuses to hold your hand but instead dares you to step into its circle—whether you emerge enlightened or confined is up to you.
Jessie Hobson