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[Nightstream Review] ‘Beyond the Infinite Two Minutes’ is the Must-See Sci-Fi of the Year

Published

5 years ago

on

Beyond the Infinite Two Minutes

 

In the same way that One Cut of the Dead became a cult classic not too soon after coming out, the spectacular Beyond the Infinite Two Minutes is this year’s must-see sci-fi comedy that I predict people will be talking about sooner rather than later. Similar to 2019’s One Cut, Beyond the Infinite Two Minutes — which played at this year’s Nightstream — is an impressive  single 70-minute long take that also features a simple yet brilliant time travel concept and an engaging script.

The directorial debut of Junta Yamaguchi, this eccentric science fiction comedy is an exciting experience that captures the viewer’s attention immediately with its different take on time travel. 

After work, Kato (Kazunari Tosa) discovers that the camera he has connected to his shop displayed on his computer screen in his apartment has a two minute delay to the security camera display in his shop downstairs. He is surprised to see an image of himself in the cafe, talking to him from 2 minutes in the future, starting off a chain reaction of him communicating between the two spaces with the two minute difference in the past and the future. 

By setting the mechanics of the time travel to the small window of 2 minutes, this film shows a refreshing perspective on the time travel genre and keeps the story moving and the drama flowing as the viewer tries to figure out the next moves along with the protagonist while the clock’s ticking. 

The film almost immediately starts off with the time travel discovery, wasting no time in throwing the viewer right into the action. 

For a directorial debut — and for a single take film — the entire execution is truly awe-inspiring with what was done while being an indie, low-budget affair. Not only is this filmed in one take, but it is also filmed — and I cannot emphasize this enough — on an iPhone camera. 

Compared to other time travel concepts, from low to high budgets, this one feels new and the idea is impressive, and that’s besides the fact that this was all orchestrated in a single take. The concept is so simple and lo-fi, but still blew my mind when I tried to think it through. Any fans of time travel films will love this unique spin on the genre.

BEYOND THE INFINITE 2 MINUTES

The cast of Beyond an Infinite Minute with their Time TV. – Via Nightstream

Each two minute interval of traveling between the “time TVs” attracts new characters into trying out the TV, creating a hectic atmosphere of hilarious hijinks that blend into darker scenes as the film goes on. 

Even while tackling this new sci-fi concept in a short runtime in a single take, it still manages to bring up existential time travel questions that tinge the film with a disturbing tone, like creating paradoxes. 

Considering the multitude of restrictions on this film (single location, low budget, 2 minute timeframe) it is a miracle that this film accomplished what it did in a quick 70-minute runtime. 

Like a bystander in the film, once you start watching it’s hard to not be invested in what will happen next in Beyond the Infinite Two Minutes. Even when you start figuring out the quirky perspective on time travel, the film throws you through new twists that keep it even more interesting. 

Beyond the Infinite Two Minutes is not yet available to rent, but has recently been acquired by Indiecan so keep your eyes out for this ingenious sci-fi that will surely be talked about in years to come. 

Check out more Nightstream coverage here, and check out the trailer for Beyond the Infinite Two Minutes below.

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Self Driver Runs Out of Road

Published

10 hours ago

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May 12, 2026

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Every few years someone makes a movie where a desperate person takes the money and watches his conscience become negotiable. I am always there for it. Cheap Thrills. Would You Rather. The whole subgenre of moral erosion for cash that does not have a name but absolutely should. Self Driver walks directly into that territory and for the first half of its runtime, it delivers.

Nathanael Chadwick plays D, a cab driver trying to keep his head above water, who gets recruited onto a mysterious new rideshare app that promises fast money and asks for increasingly terrible things in return.

Writer-director Michael Pierro shot this on cellphones with a skeleton crew. That constraint should work against the film. For the first act, it does not. Chadwick earns your sympathy without doing anything obvious to ask for it, and Pierro keeps things tense enough that the premise does exactly what it is supposed to do.

Then the psychedelic angle shows up.

Self Driver

I want to be fair about this. I understand the intention. But it lands the way a plot fix lands. You feel the seam. By the halfway point the script has accumulated a lot of threads, and the psychedelic detour is where those threads stop being pulled. They do not resolve. They just stop mattering.

That is the consistent frustration with Self Driver. It is not short on ideas. It is short on follow-through. Almost every interesting thing Pierro introduces gets picked up, examined, and set back down before it earns its place in the film. The bones of something genuinely great are visible throughout. The second half just never shows up to finish the job.

Chadwick won Best Actor at Grimmfest for this role, and it is not hard to understand why. He is doing real work here. He makes D worth following even when the film is not fully following through on its own premise. That is harder than it looks.

Self Driver is out now on UK digital via GrimmVision. At 2.5 out of 5, it is worth your time if you have patience for low-budget genre work and can make peace with a film that is better than it finishes. Pierro has instincts. Watch for his next one.

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Indie Horror

Panic Fest 2026 Review: ‘Frogman Returns’ Is A Thrilling Sequel That Goes For The Croak!

Published

6 days ago

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May 6, 2026

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Horror as a genre has a greater propensity for sequels than almost anything else in the world of cinema. There have been scores of slasher sequels from the likes of Friday The 13th to A Nightmare on Elm Street to even sequels to seemingly stand-alone affairs like The Exorcist and The Blair Witch Project. While some may be seen as cash grabs or of diminishing returns, it cannot be argued that there have been some phenomenal sequels to horror films such as Aliens and Evil Dead 2 among many others. So imagine my pleasant surprise to see that 2023’s Frogman is back in the aptly named Frogman Returns!

The sequel picks up not too long after the original’s cryptid catastrophe. The Loveland, Ohio Frogman and surrounding cult that was exposed by amateur filmmaker Dallas (Nathan Tymoshuk) has since disappeared and the terror of the magic wand wielding amphibian seemingly ended. Having lost his friend Scotty (Benny Barrett) and a falling out with Amy (Chelsey Grant), Dallas has found a new life heading a cryptid reality web show. But when strange forces call him and his team back to Loveland, will he have to face the Frogman for a final battle?

I was a big fan of the original Frogman upon release, and was interested in seeing where director Anthony Cousins was going to take the story. I’m happy to report that he did the best kind of thing you can do for a sequel like this: made it weirder and wilder! Not only is there Frogman, but a number of classic cryptids have encounters as the genie is out of the bottle and Dallas irrevocably proved that there are truly monsters among us. There is a pretty memorable scene involving a run-in with the living pants-like Fresno Nightcrawler creature that establishes what a brave and bizarre new world things have become since the previous film. Monsters are basically a fact of life now. So, of course, people are finding ways to profit from it.

Dallas’ arc continues from the first film and I do like how he carries the weight and guilt of Scotty’s disappearance and his disconnection with Amy. There are real consequences to the ways things went wrong previously and Dallas is haunted by the consequences of his obsession. Now he attempts to make things right in some form as his adventures bring him back to where it all began. And for those here for Frogman… without spoiling too much, everyone’s favorite amphibious cryptid does make a triumphant return. With a neon explosive finale that left me craving even more.

Frogman Returns does a fine job of documenting the new adventure in the traditional found footage format, with the foundation of Dallas’ new reality web show keeping the cameras rolling. Combining that with ample and memorable practical fx for all manner of beasts and gore to see. Exploding heads, zapped limbs, and so much more get captured on camera in all their visceral glory.

Overall, if you were a fan of the first Frogman, then Frogman Returns is a more than worthwhile follow up to digest.

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Indie Horror

Panic Fest 2026 Review: ‘Creature Of The Pines’ Is An Interesting Found Footage Horror That Walks A Beaten Path

Published

7 days ago

on

May 5, 2026

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There are certain parts of the world that have an inherent evil or cursed nature to them. The Bermuda Triangle, where so many ships have vanished in its waters. Death Valley, where many have met their end in the unforgiving desert. And then there’s The Pine Barrens of New Jersey. A woodland infamous for the cryptid named The Jersey Devil.

While The Jersey Devil may be the mascot or face of sorts for the area, there are other dangers within those woods. Specifically, an area known as Pine Hollow. Infamous for numerous disappearances of local and hikers. While some attribute it to natural hazards, others say the source of these incidents may be tied to folklore. An ancient mimic of indigenous legend that targets those wandering its woods. After a trio of hikers disappear and leaves only one shell shocked survivor and witness wandering the wilderness, a documentary crew attempts to clarify between fact and fiction… only to find themselves subject to their own torments.

Creature Of The Pines is a decent found footage/mockumentary endeavor, and I’m always a sucker for that kind of framing. I will also give points for taking an original approach on the region rather than using a more well known cryptid or monster. Instead, crafting their own beast with the shapeshifting demon of indigenous lore. It did make it more interesting than relying on a more infamous antagonist, allowing the movie to make up its own rules and history behind the titular creature.

Unfortunately, the story does fall into a lot of the cliches of the sub-genre as well. Lots of scenes building up strange sounds coming form the woods leading to some shaky cam segments as a character is dragged off by an unseen force and such. The talking heads portions of the mockumentary featured some decent actors and subjects that kept things fairly fresh. Especially the former forest ranger who discussed the dark and terrible history of Pine Hollow.

Even still, the third act was kind of a mixed bag with the final confrontation and reveal of the horror. Ambiguity tends to work better in found footage for a reason, sometimes its better to leave the evil up to the imagination. There’s also a twist to the ending that felt a bit obvious considering the build up.

But, if you’re a big fan of found footage and mockumentary horror like I am, (especially for New England based horror) then Creature Of The Pines is worth at least a watch.

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