The Tattooist (2018)

Directed by: Michael Wong | 1:20 minute | horror, fantasy | Actors: Wang Yanhu, Lu Li, Myra Mala, Chase Lichtenberg, Simon Shiyamba, Mayela Magrou, Dan Litza

A tattoo artist is doing an intricate looking tattoo on a lady’s back. The camera work in this ultra-short horror film immediately makes it clear how vulnerable the customer’s position is; at the mercy of the ink artist, she has literally put her life in his hands. In addition to the camera work, the montage of ‘The Tattooist’ by the Malaysian director Michael Wong is also excellent: in quick short shots, they are almost flashes, we see the horrific situation in which a number of people find themselves. Are they former customers? Is it the tattoo artist’s fantasy? ‘The Tattooist’ offers no answers, but certainly impresses with the final product. There is hardly any real plot and it may feel more like a trailer, but what has been made is of above average quality. The film deservedly won several awards at international film festivals.