Joshua Nelson’s Faces of Dead Women is a 40-minute rape-revenge drama with a collective of survivors instead of a singular protagonist. Gathering at a therapy group for rape survivors, the unnamed women’s journey towards healing takes an unexpected turn at the behest of their leader. When the film begins, it could almost be mistaken for… Continue reading Faces of Dead Women: Revenge, Trauma’s Offspring
Tag: Drama
The legend of McCarthy and Little Bill: A Western That Can Laugh At Itself
Thomas Wheeler’s Western-comedy The Legend of McCarthy and Little Bill is a 40-minute trip into the Wild West and its many mythic characters. The titular McCarthy and Little Bill’s run from the law and subsequent treasure hunt form the driving force of the narrative. Divided into six chapters, the story develops through the introduction and… Continue reading The legend of McCarthy and Little Bill: A Western That Can Laugh At Itself
The West Virginian Starfish: On Following Distant Ghosts
A story that explores the dual ideas of letting go and persevering, The West Virginian Starfish is set in a town around the Appalachian Trail. Directed by Hyten Davidson and Tommy Martin, the 15-minute film follows a woman who has made it her mission to rescue hikers who give up on the trail. The trail… Continue reading The West Virginian Starfish: On Following Distant Ghosts
Nobody’s Boy: Desperation and Its Sometimes Deadly Ends
Harrison J. Bahe’s 32-minute Nobody’s Boy is a bitter tale of adjusting to life at rock bottom until it is no longer possible. Featuring Daniel Estrada as the protagonist Oscar, the film chronicles a downward spiral that threatens to stop at a violent end. Oscar is homeless, and coping with alcoholism and prostitution. The cruelty… Continue reading Nobody’s Boy: Desperation and Its Sometimes Deadly Ends
Hostile Architecture: The Horror of Built-in Cruelty
Robb Jayne’s Hostile Architecture approaches the menace of its titular subject through the character of its suddenly homeless protagonist, Kirsty. Short as it is, the film accomplishes a lot and with admirable empathy. The opening scene establishes Kirsty’s (Lisa Eaglesham) situation and sets up the timeline of the story. She is to be appointed a… Continue reading Hostile Architecture: The Horror of Built-in Cruelty
I’m Here Too: Raising Awareness Through Detail
Brendan Byrne and Marissa Kaye co-directed I’m Here Too attempts to raise awareness about depression and suicide risk through the story of a teenager, Claire. It does so by highlighting the contrast between what appears to be a normal, happy life and what it can actually entail on a day-to-day basis. Claire (Carol Elsden) approaches… Continue reading I’m Here Too: Raising Awareness Through Detail
Cha: A Tragedy Shown Through Contrasts
Xiwen Miao’s Cha explores the life and struggles of two Korean-Americans in an America crippled by COVID and marred by racism. Living a sweetly domestic life on a fruit farm, a woman and her grandson find themselves increasingly faced with hateful comments and acts, with it all culminating in a tragedy. Jiho (Thomas B. Tran)… Continue reading Cha: A Tragedy Shown Through Contrasts
The Misanthrope: Warring Against Bereavement
Having now seen Andy Kastelic’s The Misanthrope, one wonders what else could describe grief as well as the destruction of flowers. The film, all of fifteen minutes, thrusts upon the viewer a heart-wrenching story of widespread, ceaseless loss. And just as it is gutting, it leaves the viewer with the grace of warmth. The protagonist… Continue reading The Misanthrope: Warring Against Bereavement
Blue Boy: A Boxer Returns To The Fray
An unmistakable neon-noir, Andy Kastelic’s Blue Boy is stylish and gritty. The 21-minute film sees its titular character, a retired boxer, confronted with ghosts of the past and a choice that could irrevocably change more than just his own life. Jack Forcinito plays Blue Boy, a legendary, gruff ex-boxer who now owns a diner in… Continue reading Blue Boy: A Boxer Returns To The Fray
St. Augustine: The Sorrow Of Living Forever
Andy Kastelic’s St. Augustine follows in his usual fashion of sumptuous visuals and stories treated with melancholic grandeur. This one fully immerses itself into those themes with its very subject: vampires. A story spanning decades, it follows two vampires through their fated meeting and the journey through solitary years, laced with horrors and loneliness. Kastelic… Continue reading St. Augustine: The Sorrow Of Living Forever