Julien Neaves – Editor
It’s that time again folks. What time you ask? Trinidad and Tobago Film Festival time again. This year is the 15th anniversary of the festival and due to covid19 this edition is completely virtual. Being a film reviewer from Trinidad and an avid promoter of Cariwood (Caribbean cinema) you know I’m not gonna sleep on this treasure trove of regional content. For the article today I will be doing a spoiler free review of supernatural thriller/drama Mightier dan de Sun directed by Trevon C. Jugmohan and written by Anthony Blackburn.
The film stars Arnold Goindhan and Kala Neehall as a poor Indo-Trinidadian couple. On a fateful night with copious consumption of alcohol dark secrets are revealed and supernatural forces intervene. Now I have been aware of Goindhan since way back in the days of Trini soap opera Westwood Park (1997-2004). But I became a fan after his tour de force performance in 2017 thriller The Cutlass. So when I saw him attached to this project I had to check it out.
If your film only has two actors you are going to need both to deliver strong performances. And both Goindhan and Neehall deliver in their roles. Goindhan is darkly humorous, manic and intense while Neehall is simmering and biting yet sympathetic. Their verbal sparring is most entertaining and the duo keep up the pace of things.
Visually there are well-framed early scenes but everything else is pretty straightforward. And the supernatural special effects were cool if nothing spectacular. But the film truly shines in terms of atmosphere. While watching the 37-minute film there is an unease and tension that grows and ebbs and grows and keeps growing until all the proverbial cards are on the table. Or rather until everything comes into the light. I figured out the plot early (I am a seasoned film reviewer after all *dusts shoulder*) but it did not detract from the experience. And I had a good experience with Mightier dan de Sun. It is a well acted, well paced and thrilling little supernatural thriller.
Rating: 7.5 out of 10
If you live in the English-speaking Caribbean and you are reading this on September 10 then you can rent this film, together with the documentary Jump, until midnight tonight by clicking on this link and following the instructions. NB – After renting you will have up to Sunday to view it. And for my aforementioned review of The Cutlass you can click here.
Julien “Jules” Neaves is a TARDIS-flying, Force-using Trekkie whose bedroom stories were by Freddy Krueger, learned to be a superhero from Marvel, but dreams of being Batman. I love promoting Caribbean film, creating board games and I am an aspiring author. I say things like “12 flavours of awesome sauce”.
I can also be found posting on Instagram as redmanwriter and talking about TV and movie stuff on Facebook at Movieville.