Actually I have no idea how much this cost, but in terms of location economy you can't beat a lift, a corridor and a car park! This short has distinctive characters, humour, paranoia, gore and a double-barrel twist, plus it comes in at under 20 minutes - very restrained. It also underlines (or foreshadows, I suppose) why David Hewlett has gone on to make a well deserved niche for himself. He gets far and away the best line, one to be only truly appreciated by real cult horror/sci-fi fans no doubt - the specifics went over my head even if the meaning and delivery didn't. Elevated found its way onto a French (or at least French-language) DVD release of CUBE, along with a nice variety of Cube extras incidentally, and was well worth the price alone. Go on, seek it out...
12 Reviews
Very Effective Short
Theo Robertson10 November 2004
Two people get into a lift and are met by a madman who claims the monsters from the ALIEN movies are taking over the block . What can two people alone in a lift with a madman do to protect themselves ?
It's said if you have a zero budget for a movie you can still write a script featuring three people in a lift . Guess what ? ELEVATED has a zero budget and features three people in a lift . Well maybe that's slightly untrue because a car park and a few walk ons appear in the last scene but this is a pretty good example of what can be done with no budget . The story itself is absolute nonsense and like most horror shorts we the audience are given no explanations whatsoever as to how the events came about but this doesn't really diminish the film itself , after all many short films are made for the simple reason to get the director and writer noticed at film festivals
I saw ELEVATED for the first and only time several years ago when it was broadcast on channel 4 . The fact that I could remember the title and be able to write a review off the top of my head says something about its quality
It's said if you have a zero budget for a movie you can still write a script featuring three people in a lift . Guess what ? ELEVATED has a zero budget and features three people in a lift . Well maybe that's slightly untrue because a car park and a few walk ons appear in the last scene but this is a pretty good example of what can be done with no budget . The story itself is absolute nonsense and like most horror shorts we the audience are given no explanations whatsoever as to how the events came about but this doesn't really diminish the film itself , after all many short films are made for the simple reason to get the director and writer noticed at film festivals
I saw ELEVATED for the first and only time several years ago when it was broadcast on channel 4 . The fact that I could remember the title and be able to write a review off the top of my head says something about its quality
Elevated, a short film from the director of Cube
jaston19 July 1999
I saw Elevated and was immediately reminded of a movie I had recently enjoyed, Cube. After a check on IMDB, I was pleasantly surprised to find out they both had the same director. Like Cube, Elevated is a movie that bears thinking about in the days after the viewing. I'd recommend it to anyone who liked Cube, as well as movies like Dead Calm, and Death and the Maiden, which have a small cast and limited set changes.
Cube's little brother
Sky-3528 December 2000
After watching the excellent movie, Cube, I decided to research about the director, Vincenzo Natali. I found out about the short film "Elevated." I watched it on the Independent Film Channel late one night and found many similarities to Cube. It starts out with two people in an elevator. They're interrupted by a blood-covered man entering the elevator claiming that there is an "Alien-like" monster outside of the elevator and he insists that they should go up, to the top floor. It has the same creepiness and originality as Cube, which makes it an excellent 25 minutes. I do wish that the director would have made it into a long movie, making the 25 minutes the beginning and then the rest of the movie about the monster and the other people in the building. But then again, having it stay a short film leaves a lot to the imagination, which I cannot say is true about a lot of other movies these days. I give it ***1/2 out of ****
Bloody good fun
ctomvelu116 March 2010
A woman is taking an elevator to her parking garage. A burly workman joins her, and shortly thereafter a second man enters the elevator, only this guy is covered in blood and in a state of panic. He claims monsters or possibly aliens have invaded the building and they must remain in the elevator to stay alive. Pretty soon, it becomes a battle of wits among the trio. David Hewlett, a familiar face from British and American movies and TV, plays the bloodied man. This short horror film is tense and scary, and a model for no-budget flicks. From the man who brought us CUBE. Warning: this is not a film for the squeamish. I haven't seen this much blood since I worked in a hospital emergency room on Saturday nights.
A must see for all horror or short movie fans!
seerzack11 May 2008
Warning: Spoilers
Before I start I just want to point out that this is my first movie review ever but when I saw this movie I was so stunned so I just had to review this little masterpiece. The movie was made on almost no budget and there was almost no special effects (exept a little blood)and it's only 20 minutes long but still it's an amazing movie. I'm not going to lie and say it's the best movie I have ever seen cause it's not but it's by far the best short movie I have ever seen so far in my entire life even though I always thought short movies was a bad thing this movie absolutely changes that thing. It's about two peoples in an elevator called Ellen and Ben (Vickie Papavs and Bruce McFee) that wants to go to the lowest floor on the building. But when they almost reached there destination a madman covered in blood called Hank (David Hewlett) shouts hold the elevator! He enters the elevator and he pushes the button to the highest floor. Ben says: What the f**k are you doing? Hank says that they gotta get to the highest floor on the building and barricade themselves and that the monster from Alien are killing every one outside the building. And thats basically the plot of this movie. it's very simple but then again it's a short movie and Vincenzo Natali the director of this movie pulled it of pretty good. But the must important part that makes this movie so good is David Hewlett's great acting. 8/10 A MUST SEE!
A lesson on doing more with less.
88keyz14 October 2000
Canadian director Vincenzo Natali is an expert at getting more out of less. The short film Elevated is a prime example. It manages to do more with its 25 minutes than many films can do in 2 hours. The story follows three people confined in an elevator avoiding the monsters in the building that are stalking them. The only problem is that only one of them believes in the monsters, the other two just want off. The tension grows until it finally explodes and only one is left standing. The entire short is filmed using only a single set piece, yeah one, thats right. Rumor has it that when Natali filmed Cube he also used only a single set. And if you've seen the film you can see how it could be done. So if you have the chance to see this short don't waste any time, because if you do it'll probably be over. Check IFC it plays on there from time to time. 10/10 My highest praise!
great canadian made short!
dimmer7715 May 2001
this is still one of my favorite short films.... it's so weird. you can watch it over and over and it's entertaining every time!! i don't know if was supposed to be funny, but these actors do such a great job of tearing into each other! check out 'cube' as well... done by the same director.
"Elevated" Is A Raw and Solid "10"- Tom Millan "Kindred Gem Films 1998"
marksnakehandler2 August 2007
This film shows, in a crystal clear sense of purity, that you don't need a lot of money to make a good film. The talent behind the acting, directing and writing are the valuable keys in making a good film. "Elevated" has an excellent execution of that talent which, in some scenes and visuals, remind me of a couple of my films- "Blue Window" and "One Named Clarence". Suspense and chaos run amok in this film as we have the actors fight against the odds in an elevator that is up to no good. Paranoid thoughts ring true to this movie which gets the viewer wondering as to what is going on. The editing on top of the directing is well done. The lighting is well executed and the acting is visceral and well played.
Like some of my films, it has unpredictable twists and turns including one bizarre ending. I thought the one scene near the end, which contained all of these silhouetted figures run towards the elevator in slow motion was quite an interesting scene- a cool scene and again quite similar to my style of film making. I saw this film in 1998 on Showcase with my room mate. This film was on a series that documented short films. He, a writer, thought that this movie was a good view as well.
Like some of my films, it has unpredictable twists and turns including one bizarre ending. I thought the one scene near the end, which contained all of these silhouetted figures run towards the elevator in slow motion was quite an interesting scene- a cool scene and again quite similar to my style of film making. I saw this film in 1998 on Showcase with my room mate. This film was on a series that documented short films. He, a writer, thought that this movie was a good view as well.
Wonderfully twisted from the director of Cube
Puke Bag1 September 1999
Having seen this short in a film class, it is one of the better shorts that I've seen in quite some time. Blending dark comedy, horror, and suspense, it plays it all up to exhilarating effect. Definitely a worthy calling card, especially considering that it was shot on 16mm and blown up to 35mm (looks very, very slick).
Good Short Film
redprints29 October 2000
I saw this film on the IFC at two thirty in the morning, and I didn't see any introduction for it, just the opening shot. The entire film was quite excellent and very suspenseful, with a killer climax. I doubt this is available commercially, but if you see it on tv, be sure to check it out. When I checked the other user comments I noticed it's by Cube's director - knowing that makes the similarities between the two quite obvious (set of people in one room with no clear directive).
Same as Cube
ghola_belial22 August 2004
This short tells the exact same story as Cube. I liked Cube for the cute trick of having one set for the whole movie. But after seeing this I wonder if Natali actually has anything to say.
People seem to be OK with being left to imagine a lot, but here you really have to imagine everything. There is virtually no plot apart from the movements of the actors. The dialogs are pointless and repetitive and the acting is not really convincing (like in Cube) but this is a small budget short.
We are left with nothing as for the reality of the "aliens", the motives of the guy in the suit and of Ben's. Only the woman seems to be like some sort of office clerk who may well be a normal person trying to go home. Apart from the killing of Ben we don't have a clue as for what is going on, just people stuck in an elevator.
Leave it to our imagination? I wonder after seeing Elevated and Cube if Natali will ever have more than one idea.
I'll have to see Cypher...
People seem to be OK with being left to imagine a lot, but here you really have to imagine everything. There is virtually no plot apart from the movements of the actors. The dialogs are pointless and repetitive and the acting is not really convincing (like in Cube) but this is a small budget short.
We are left with nothing as for the reality of the "aliens", the motives of the guy in the suit and of Ben's. Only the woman seems to be like some sort of office clerk who may well be a normal person trying to go home. Apart from the killing of Ben we don't have a clue as for what is going on, just people stuck in an elevator.
Leave it to our imagination? I wonder after seeing Elevated and Cube if Natali will ever have more than one idea.
I'll have to see Cypher...
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