When their mother passes, a teenager is faced with the sudden appearance of their father who got a prison furlough.
Written and directed by Mekhai Lee, this short film clocks in under 20 minutes and packs in a few emotional punches. The writing here is of high quality while not wasting any time. The characters and situation are quickly established and from there, the emotional connection to the lead is established and keeps the viewer involved. The characters here feel human, real, and organic. The writing is a huge part of this, and the direction clearly is on point as well. This is solid from start to finish and shows that 20 minutes is plenty to make characters that connect with the audience and the story feel fully developed.
The cast here is absolutely solid with Angel Theory in the lead as Drea, a tough part that includes both spoken words and ASL with a ton of emotions. The performance Theory gives is fantastic here; it grounds the character, the story, and the film. There is a lot here, and Theory does the most of it. In other impactful parts are Carrie Compere as Carol and Biko Eisen-Martin as Samuel. The two of them create very different impacts on Drea, and their performances are quite fitting for the needs of the film. They both add different emotions to the film and bring different energies to everything going on. They, with Theory, create a film that is on point, emotional, and touching.
The cinematography by Sade Ndya needs to be noted here as it’s excellent with careful use of framing and lighting to create moods and connect feelings for the audience. The work shows an understanding of what pulls viewers in and what type of light choices makes them feel cold or warm, helping create the right feelings and connections for the viewers from a few simple images.
The film here may be short, but it easily as the impact, if not more, of a feature film. The story is carefully crafted and masterfully brought to the screen. The cast is fantastic with a magnificent performance by lead Angel Theory. The film as a whole hits hard, but also just right. The story is one that many will connect with, and even if a viewer finds themselves with nothing in common with the characters, the writing and acting will pull them in with the cinematography wrapping them up in emotions and feelings. This is a short film that shows what the format can truly do when approached correctly.