Director Christopher L. Golon’s short film “Hollywood” is a decent effort, with a keen idea of what it wants out of its short run time. It’s rough around the edges, and definitely could use a larger length, but as it stands it’s a solid attempt at a short neo-noir about the damnation of living in Hollywood.
The premise is not too unique, as it demonstrates what Hollywood can do to hopeful and ambitious people sucked in to its black hole of sin and sex. David Lynch essentially covered this theme in “Mulholland Dr.” but director Golon uses this format to show how he can tell a story with sharp editing and interesting direction. “Hollywood” definitely suits the neo-noir sub-genre, opting to depict a Hollywood that’s dark, disgusting, and perverse, while our protagonist played by Kevin Michael Turner roams the seedy underbelly looking for a young actress who disappeared suddenly.
Most of “Hollywood” explores how the city can corrupt everyone, and what it gradually does to our lost soul, a young wide eyed woman seeking an acting career, who is inevitably pulled down in to crime, drug use, and pornography. Director Golon uses Hollywood to the best of his ability, setting most of the key scenes in famous landmarks, and emulates a lot of the classic crime thrillers with his directorial style. “Hollywood” is a film in need of some more story, exposition, and a more coherent narrative, but as an experimental short, it’s worth a watch.