ON.

SCREEN

Rough night
was it?

CINEMA

KNOCK-ON EFFECT
OUT 16 DECEMBER
CERT 15 / 5 MINS
Director Eloise Dodman
Cast Emily Spampanato, Amelia Dodman

PLOT A hard-hitting story about

a downward spiral of the life of a
young teenager caught up in a drug
problem. When her past comes back
to haunt her, she will have to decide
whether she will listen to it or
continue to follow the wrong path.

THE SELF-INFLICTED STORY IS

every mothers worst fear; a young girl
finds her life has gone down the mistaken
channel forcing her to look back on what
she used to be.
Director Eloise Dodman is now the
one to watch when it comes to teen
issue-based dramas. Both Finding Myself
and Knock-On Effect focus on characters
on the edge of forgetting the family life
they once had, seeking
themselves, and in the process
becoming caught up in a cycle of
addiction. The girls appear neglected by
their families, but another common
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DECEMBER 2016

thread between Dodmans female

protagonists is that they are already
familiar with lifes cruelties, and risk
everything to find a place of safety.
Dodman expertly establishes
Annabelles (Spampanato) troubled past,
showing the harsh realities and struggles
of a young drug addict who isnt
receiving any support. The worry of her
drug dependency provides a constant
sense of tension under the loud music
and close-up visuals, which portray to
us that she is in need of some serious
help. Despite Annabelles desperation to
escape this destructive life she knows is
dragging her closer to regret, she is
clearly troubled by memories of her
younger self (played by Amelia
Dodman).
Less ambitious directors would set
this narrative in a run-down, abandoned
asylum, and imitate the realistic brutality
of pre-existing drug films such as
Aronofskys Requiem for a Dream.
However, Dodmans approach is far
more relatable due to the domestic
setting. Spampanato gives a heart-felt
performance, really showing the issues
of drug addiction. The film not only
presents a strong message but will
educate a young audience on how
addiction can affect everyone around
you.
Young actor Amelia Dodman is a

revelation, she portrays the character

of young Annabelle that will strike the
audience as upsetting as they imagine
their daughters to be in this positon.
Her performance in the film is
revitalizing, showing us fresh
upcoming talent which slowly fades to
the older, less fresh-looking
Annabelle.
The stunning cinematography
captures the close up detail of the
individual characters and really
focuses on the difference between the
purity of the younger Annabelle and
the state of misery she has descended
to. The success of this film really
comes down to the immaculate script
and directional writing, giving the film
an impact which is guaranteed to stay
with you for days after watching it.
Plot-wise, not much happens at all
during the short runtime. But theres
a difference between plot and drama,
and theres definitely drama in
Annabelles reckless behaviour.
VERDICT: Spampanatos
expertise holds the audiences
attention throughout, as well
as the breathtaking
cinematography and thoughtprovoking struggles of a young
troubled girl.