Ever wonder what someone else was thinking? How about one of your teachers from High School? Ever wonder what was going through their heads as they tried to bestow wisdom and teachings to a class of hormone raging smartasses that would rather be Xbox-ing? Worm, a new Canadian short (20 minutes) takes us into the mind of Geoffrey Dodd (Robert Nolan), an average looking High School teacher that looks like every other boring High School teacher you may have had during your teens.
As the camera follows Geoffrey through the course of his day, a running narrative gives us a glimpse into the mind and the dark corners of Geoffrey's thoughts. We are brought into a world where the outer exterior does not match the raging intolerance of his contemplations.
Geoffrey speaks eloquently and authoritatively to his students and peers, but his thoughts are schizophrenic in delivery. With a nod and smile, Geoffrey narrates notions such as "I bet if we parted that greasy mop of yours we would find a whole bunch of scares left by your mom's coat hanger. Too bad she didn't finish the job." Ouch! And his distaste for all those around him doesn't stop there. In a common, typical day as constructed by the premise, Geoffrey thinks of another student as a "Cocky little rodent" and with another, thoughts of, "I hope your mother and father rot from cancer!" spew in his reflections.
Geoffrey's thoughts only intensify throughout the duration of the school day. He has lustful thoughts of another student and even imagines using a gun on himself and others as a way of expressing his revulsion of the people and places that surround his daily life.
Written and directed by Richard Powell, Worm is a fascinating and ultimately terrifying look into the thoughts of an unstable mentor. Powell couldn't have picked better casting in the role of Geoffrey as Robert Nolan is able to relay in actions and thoughts a believable structure of a tormented soul. He's the introvert equivalent to Falling Down's, William 'D-Fens' Foster – ready to explode and only subdued by the sound of the bell.
Worm effectively uses its 1200 minutes to get its audience involved with the character and interested in notions. 30 minutes might have been too long and 15 minutes too short. Powell has found his baby bear bed in a tight 20 minutes of film.
Worm might be hard to find in a world saturated with blockbuster sequel rentals, but if you get the chance, give Worm a shot. It's style and pace shows what a talented filmmaker can produce with only a few minutes of celluloid.
