There isn’t much to enjoy or like about “Performance Anxiety,” a poorly made short film from writer / director Trey Anderson. I hate to pan a small work like this, but it’s simply not a very good film. The production values are low, the acting is crummy, the sound borders on atrocious, and the story is far too loose.
An aspiring rapper (Elma Begovic) travels through the desert with her manager (Aidan Kahn) and DJ (Anderson) after receiving a mysterious request to perform at a secret Coachella after party. When the trio arrives, things don’t go exactly as planned.
There are forced horror elements that make little sense. Presenting an artist with a “sign this contract or die” moment isn’t even an original idea, and the supposed shocking twist ending is anything but.
Even worst, the majority of “Performance Anxiety” is comprised of a mediocre music performance that makes the short miserable to sit through, even for its brief run time. Sixteen minutes have never felt so grueling.
By: Louisa Moore
Screen Zealots 