A couple gets an ominous message and dismisses it at first. Soon, it happens again, and an evil AI jumps into it, infiltrating their home.
Written and directed by Rashan Mines and Ren-Horng Wang, this short film is another good example that sometimes, a shorter run time is a great thing. Here the story develops quickly and comes to a satisfying conclusion within 13 minutes, showing that sometimes, less is more (while a decent number of things happen on screen during that short time). Here, the story has a limited number of characters, and all takes place into one house, giving them limited interactions to have with others besides themselves and the AI at the center of it all. The characters are well-written if not exactly always nice; they are human and have their thoughts, fears, and feelings. The direction works seamlessly with the script here.
The cast here is both large and limited in that there are two leads and quite a few others who cannot be spoiled here but who did really good work with their scene(s). As for the leads, Tyler Courtad and Mellisa Goodwin, playing Austin and Mikaela respectively, show a good understanding of the material and are ready to do what the film needs, may it be staring at a phone or screaming into the void. As this is a short film, their characters can only get so much development before the time is up, so they make the most of it, both giving solid performances and making it look like they are a couple with the love, the arguments, and (almost) all that comes with being a couple living in the same house. Their work shines when things get weird and they really make the most of it.
The cinematography by Ben Meserve shows how to use the inside of a house that looks like it truly is a home with its own lighting and lighting challenges, giving the audience a front row seat to a real-feeling vignette of life. From the well-lit to the darker scenes, the action and story never get lost with careful lighting and framing. Of course, there are creepy elements here, and the cinematography works with those with the right moves and framing as well. The visual aspects of the film here are all good, and the cinematography is at the top of that group.
We Never Sleep is a solid, well made short film that has strong performances and that was made in 2023 with a subject that fits perfectly in 2026. Depending on where AI is going, this could become less and less sci-fi/horror and more and more horror/horror. The story is effective and plays well with the fears of some of the public while playing against the beliefs of others. This short film is currently on the festival circuit, and seeing it makes it clear why the festivals are picking it up. This is what a good short film should aim at being: effective, entertaining, and a bit scary.