SHREDDERS (2019) - Director
'Director Darren A. Furniss’ fun short starts with the mayhem already underway, with a confused Stan (Michael James Dean, who also wrote the screenplay) and his boss Richard “call me Dick” Gables (Darren Ruston) barricading themselves in an office and hoping they won’t be noticed. Luckily for them, Peggy Reynolds (Sophie Mensah) joins them, and leads a plan for escape with her never-say-die attitude. The humor is well done, with, for example, our heroic trio engaging in small talk while their lives are at stake, and a bevy of visual gags, as well. Furniss works around budget limitations by not directly showing the titular creatures, and this approach plays out nicely thanks to clever camera angles, sounds of off-screen pandemonium, and reaction shots of the three protagonists. Shredders is a smart, high-energy horror comedy with solid pacing and impressive technical work.'
horrorfuel.com
'Darren A. Furniss’ short film Shredders is one of the best short films I’ve seen! Shredders is a very entertaining short - the crew behind this film should be proud of what they’ve put together!' ukfilmreview
'Shredders was a short that exceeded my expectations, it is very well made with some well lit locations, good music, and dialogue that was more funny than it should be due to the performances of the leads. All in all a great comedy horror that really leans into its strengths.' therottingzombie
DAMAGED - Writer/Director/Producer
‘Instead of a horror film, this is a psychological work – presented with great care and humanness, but not without the weight of disturbing themes… this is art that does not apologise for itself, does not gloss over realities to make them palatable, and affirms the significance of film as a medium not just for entertainment, but for the exploration of all aspects of human life.’ Atlas & Aeris, International Film Festival Review
‘Damaged exists in an unusual place in cinema in that it focuses on truth without glorifying it yet also without compromising it. Furniss has crafted a film that is, at times, difficult to watch not because of its violent imagery but because of its emotional and physical honesty that asks us, perhaps, to remember that it is often the most ordinary of people who do the most out of the ordinary things in life… Furniss lenses the film with an intimate observational quality that makes you feel like you are watching something you are also part of, an experience that is rather jarring yet also unforgettable… It's a bold and well-constructed cinematic journey that challenges unapologetically with an honesty and authenticity seldom experienced yet even more seldom forgotten.’ The Independent Critic
‘The effect is something approaching a Terrence Malick film crossed with David Cronenberg – Damaged is an unsettling, filthy, yet oddly poetic sensory experience…’ Nottingham Post
‘It is not a film that you will forget in a hurry, and it will leave your heart racing by the end.’ Watch This Space Film Magazine
RED BETRAYAL (Showcase) - Director/Producer
‘It is a human journey, full of eye-opening and emotional tales... It is a very important play in light of the political goings-on of our time and it is important to remember Josef Stalin’s reign of terror... The use of space and lighting was excellent, and the direction? Perfection!’ Sara Ratcliffe, Bullet Magazine
‘Red Betrayal is an example of what 4Front have come to do best. The company has a talent for juxtaposing the sinister with black comedy to create a visceral sense of tangible tension... Showing tender scenes of solidarity between husband and wife alongside chilling scenes of intimidation and betrayal, the play is both brutal and beautiful.’ Sarah Holt, Lincolnshire Echo
IDOL CHAT (Showcase) - Director/Producer
‘This play is hip, hilarious and sexy!’ Sara Ratcliffe, Bullet Magazine
‘It was laugh-out-loud funny and entertaining.’ Sarah Holt, Lincolnshire Echo
GOING DOWN (National Tour) - Writer/Director/Producer
‘It is a deep show of strong characters that have strong emotions, interesting character interaction intercut by gripping monologues. It has a lot to say, and it deserves an audience willing to listen. There are commendable moments in this show, both funny and dramatic… The closing scenes of the play are riveting…’ Greg Fox, Oxford Theatre Review.com
‘The monologues themselves are unapologetically grotesque, often sexual in nature, and the audience finds itself equally disturbed and sympathetic—disturbed, perhaps, to find itself so readily sympathizing with perverts and manipulators and murderers. The monologues are a collective example of stage writing at its best, and are delivered brilliantly by the actors.’ Jennifer Kratz, OxfordTheatreReview.com
‘Showing auspicious signs for the future of new theatre... Dealing with major taboos in life, Going Down explicitly challenges and discusses those things we as humans tend to suppress. On an oppressive and yet minimalist set, the tension built up so badly that my muscles ached by the end of the performance.’ Ashleigh Gray, Thelinc.co.uk
GOING DOWN (World Premiere Edinburgh Fringe Festival) - Writer/Director
‘A provocative delve into the lives of the people we encounter on a daily basis… passionate, powerful and gripping, with an ending teetering on the obscure. Well worth the price of a ticket.’ ScotsGay Magazine
SWEENEY TODD: The Original Melodrama (Showcase) - Director
‘The Sweeney Todd version played at LPAC is dark and funny at the same time, with a high entertaining factor.’ **** Daniel Ionescu, TheLinc.co.uk